Spectrum of Passion
by Amoura Eternia
Summary: When the Holy Knights take over the Kingdom of Liones. Elizabeth, daughter of deceased Great Holy Knight Zaratras, decides to leave Liones' capital in order to seek out The Seven Deadly Sins in hopes of getting them to save Liones and its people from the corrupted Holy Knights. Adopted by MediaMaster 263 (FanFiction) and TheLoneOnlineWolf2 (A03).
1. Escape

**Spectrum of Passion Chapter 1: Escape**

I slowly walked through the dark, cold, wet passageway. My brother, cousin, Howzer, the two princesses and I had found this passageway when we were little. Curious, we followed it to the end and ended up outside the castle. We had quickly turned round and gone back of course, the princesses were too young to be outside the castle without a Holy Knight back then so we had to go back to avoid getting into a lot of trouble.

The passageway would have been easily accessible if it wasn't for all the Holy Knights patrolling the place looking out for any suspicious activity and the fact that the Holy Knights seemed strangely focused on keeping me in the city wasn't helping matters either.

The knight that was told to watch me was the only reason I had to use this passageway in the first place. He fell asleep while we were in the library of the castle so I had to use the passageway in order to get out of the castle. There was no way they'd let me out the normal way alone so I would have to sneak out. Then I could go home and grab a disguise in order to get past the gates.

I don't think anyone noticed me going in here, in fact I don't think there are many people that even know this place is here. A good thing really considering I wasn't strong enough to take on any Holy Knights. Ironic really considering my father was a Great Holy Knight and my brother is a diamond ranked Holy Knight. I didn't seem to have any powers at all; I was a druid just like my father but… I couldn't use my powers, powers that, as a druid, I should have.

My father thought this odd too. According to my father all druids have a power of some kind. So why didn't I? Maybe my father was wrong; maybe I'm not a druid at all. No that can't be it, my father once told me that he was 100% sure that I was druid and if not then I was definitely connected to the Goddess Clan in some way. Maybe I'm just… not strong enough to do anything noticeable.

…

This passageway is a lot longer than I remembered it; I've been walking for quite a while now. Although that could just be because I was walking slowly in order to not crash into anything or trip over anyth-

"Ahhh!"

I pushed myself into a kneeling position and looked behind me to try and find out what I tripped over, whatever it was it was pretty big, I could tell because of what it felt like when I tripped over it.

Unfortunately I couldn't really see anything there; it was just too dark for me to. Curiosity peaked, I moved to touch the thing I tripped over, perhaps I could find out what it was by touching it.

The thing I fell over was covered in dust and underneath the layers of dust was something I vaguely recognised as metal. But it didn't feel the same as the armour the Holy Knights wore, perhaps that was because it had rusted.

Maybe I could use this. The armour would completely conceal my appearance and would make me look like a Knight, I wouldn't find anything better at home. It was pretty unlikely I'd get away with using Gil's armour, it would probably be recognised and I wouldn't be able to believably imitate my brother.

It should fool the knights on duty into letting me through the gates and allowing me to get outside the city grounds which would then allow me to officially start looking for the Seven Deadly Sins, whom I planned on asking to help me save the Kingdom of Liones from the Holy Knights.

The Seven Deadly Sins are a group of very powerful criminals, they used to work as Holy Knights here in Liones, but had to leave after they got accused of killing the former Great Holy Knight and my father, Zaratras.

As the name suggests The Seven Deadly Sins consists of seven people, each has a sin of some kind; the Dragon's Sin of Wrath, the Serpent's Sin of Envy, the Fox's Sin of Greed, the Grizzly's Sin of Sloth, the Goat's Sin of Lust, the Boar's Sin of Gluttony and the Lion's Sin of Pride.

They also have a variety of rumours about them. Many revolve around what sin each of them committed, as most did not know what they did in order to become known as the Seven Deadly Sins in the first place, and of course people got curious but with almost or even no information everyone was left to make guesses.

One of the most talked about rumours though is a rumour revolving around the leader of Seven Deadly Sins; the Dragon's Sin of Wrath, Meliodas. The rumour basically states that Meliodas is a Demon and this rumour was made because of a witness to the Seven Deadly Sins' escape 10 years ago. Apparently the witness had seen a mark appear on his forehead that resembled the mark of the demons if that wasn't enough the witness also claimed that they had seen his eyes turn black.

The response to this rumour was… mixed. Most didn't believe Demons existed at all, others believe they did but are no longer among us, some doubt Meliodas is a demon simply because he waited so long to act against us. In other words most people didn't think the rumour was true, despite this they still enjoyed talking about it. That being said there were some people that believed it, the witness for one and a good majority of the witness' friends and family (there were more of course but they were the ones that most stood out).

Personally, I wasn't sure what I believed. It may be a rumour but that doesn't mean it's not true, I've heard of plenty of rumours that have been proven true before, there was a possibility that the same could be said for this one. In fact every rumour surrounding the Seven Deadly Sins has a possibility to be accurate, not all of them of course but there is a chance a few of them are true and considering those rumours have little to no basis, this one (that actually has a relatively decent basis) has the highest chances of being true.

I admit I am somewhat curious as to whether or not Meliodas really is a Demon, it doesn't matter if he is I just want to know. I can't just outright ask him, though. There was no way he would tell me the truth if he is with the Demon Clan's reputation being like it is.

While thinking about this I had managed to put on the armour and get right to the end of the secret passageway, much to my surprise as I hadn't really been paying attention. I had to make sure I payed attention from here on out though. There was no one but me in that passageway but that would no longer be the case once I walked outside.

Taking a deep breath I stepped forward and pushed the exit of the passageway open and stepped outside, making sure to close the door behind me.

…

Fortunately, the only people that interrupted me were the guards at the gate and thankfully I managed to fool them into believing that I was a knight sent on a job which allowed me to walk right outside the city walls.

The escape had been much easier than I thought it would be especially since the Holy Knights didn't want me getting out the city. They had even gone so far to have a Holy Knight watching me. My escape from him was entirely luck based really, the Holy Knight assigned to watching me had fallen asleep on the job and I managed to get away from him because of it. I'm not sure how I would have gotten away from him if it wasn't for that.

In truth the only reason I had managed to escape at all, let alone so easily, was because I got lucky. The knight falling asleep, no one noticing me heading to the passage or seeing me slip into the passage, no one bothering me as I walked towards the gates and those knights on duty not asking questions, it was all luck that things went the way they did.

And as I trudged through the forest connecting the city of Liones to Kaynes Village I hoped my luck would last until I at least managed to find one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

…

"...Seven… Deadly… Sins…" I uttered. I have long since lost track of how long I've been walking. I was tired, hungry, thirsty and I didn't know how much longer I'd be in this forest for.

But I couldn't afford to stop, I had to keep going. Constantly repeating "Seven Deadly Sins" was helping me do that; it was keeping me focused, reminding me why I was out here in the first place.

I was walking much slower than I had started out, probably due to fatigue. My whole body ached, my breathing was laboured and my body was covered in layer of sweat. Even my sight isn't like it usually is, I could hardly see a thing due to my blurry vision.

Narrowing my eyes, hoping to improve my vision slightly, I noticed a light. Does that mean I'm almost out the forest?

Feeling a sudden burst of energy, my pace quickened as I moved towards the light emanating from outside the forest.

It wasn't long before I reached it, I was finally outside the forest, I could see the village of Kaynes and a building that looked like a hat in the distance.

Heading towards the hat building as it looked closer and I wasn't sure I could even make it there let alone the village beyond it I hoped that whoever was there would be kind enough to let me rest for awhile.

…

Before I entered the building I noticed the sign that hung outside. "The Boar Hat" huh? I get where the hat part comes from but what about the boar part? I didn't see anything to do with pigs around here.

Uttering "The... Seven… Deadly… Sins…" a few more times I pushed the door open and as soon as I did almost everyone inside screamed and ran past me. Were they afraid of me?

I didn't really have much time to think about it though, my head swimmed and my vision started going black. The last thing I saw was a blonde haired boy before…

I blacked out.


	2. Meliodas

_**Spectrum of Passion Chapter 2: Meliodas**_

 **Alright, I made a new design for the earring Elizabeth wears.** ** **You will be able to find it on my side blog on tumblr, thesevendeadlysinsseries. Just search 'au earring' when you get to my blog and you should come across it. Make sure to check 'au earring' is in the tags, that would be the one you're looking for.****

 **The thing that keeps the earring in her ear is orange by the way. Eli's earring is pretty much the same as in canon except it has a different picture and different colours. Big thank you to emethyste34 for drawing this for me.**

 _ **Review Response**_

 _ **EJR HorseLady: Well here's the second chapter, it's longer than the first chapter was, I hope I manage a little more than a good start with this story.**_

 _ **Faeling Creature: I'm glad you're interested in it. I hope I won't disappoint you.**_

 **I made a few edits to the first chapter, I suggest you go back and read it again. Or at least skim it to find all the edits made. You don't have to but I think it would really be for the best if you did.**

I awoke to a slight squeezing at my chest. Surprised, I shot up and found myself face to face with the blonde haired boy I had seen just before I collapsed. Although, now I've got a better look at him, I can see that the person before me is a man not a boy.

I noticed I was sitting on something soft, a bed, maybe? But the hand on my breast was more than a little distracting, I don't know how I managed to notice so much while this man was squeezing my breast.

"...Um…" I felt my cheeks heat at the feeling and tried to question the man and as soon as I did the man was standing a little ways away from me with his back turned.

"Yep, your heart's beating just fine." He told me. My mind, too fogged to really notice the contradiction in that statement, simply registered that this man was helping me out and of course, that meant I had to thank him.

"Oh! Thank you" I told him before beginning to look around the room I was in. It was a rather spacious room, there wasn't much in here aside from some drawers and the bed I was sitting on.

I guess this is the blonde haired man's house. Looking back towards him, I noticed he had turned back to me and was watching me.

Thinking he was waiting for me to say something, I decided to confirm my whereabouts. "Where am I?"

"You're in the Boar Hat, my tavern." He told me with a grin on his face.

His tavern? He's the owner of the building I had walked into? The surprise must have shown on my face because the next thing I knew, the man was pulling a face.

"Is there something wrong with that?" He asked me. There wasn't. I just wasn't expecting it, that was all. I mean he had a sword so...

"No… it's just with that sheath on your back… I assumed…" I told him pointing to the oddly shaped hilt that I could see on his back from over his shoulder.

"Oh this?" He questioned and much to my surprise reached for it and began pulling it out. Recoiling, I squeezed my eyes shut, fearing he might try to hurt me. "Sorry, did I scare you?" He asked me prompting me to open my eyes and look over at him once more. Doing so allowed me to see that the sword I had seen was a hilt and a broken blade. "It's just the hilt. It makes customers think twice before not paying."

"You bastard! Don't scare her like that!" A high pitched voice reprimanded, I immediately looked around for the source and my eyes landed on a pig, that was talking.

I was barely able to contain my squeal. I leaped of the bed in my excitement and starting hugging the pig. I mean it was a pig! "I love pigs! I asked my brother for one once!" And it talks! That's amazing!

"Your brother?" The pig asked me. I froze as soon as I heard it. He was likely wondering why I asked my brother and not my parents. The thought of my parents instantly dampered my mood and brought tears to my eyes. Both my parents died when I was young, my older brother took care of me for a majority of my life. I had lost my parents and, with how strange my brother was acting, I feared I would lose him too… if I hadn't already...

"Hawk." The tavern owner cut in. As I felt the pig, Hawk, stiffen I looked up to the blonde standing above me. He wasn't looking at me however, in fact I couldn't see his expression at all as he had apparently been walking towards the door before he spoke up.

A silence fell over the room, Hawk stayed tense and the tavern owner didn't move from where he was. I just… wasn't sure what to do about it, I wasn't entirely sure what had caused the silence in the first place so I definitely didn't know how to deal with it.

It seems, however, that I was going to break the silence without even meaning too when my stomach growled and just like that the silence dissipated. "Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat."

Did he mean for free?

...I suppose I shouldn't think that, this man probably just lost a lot of money when all his customers ran out and he hadn't said anything about giving me food for free, that was more of an implication. I wouldn't blame him at all if he wanted me to pay for my food after I had driven away so many paying customers.

"Oh but… I don't have any money…" I told him, pushing myself up into a standing position, and stumbling slightly. The blonde man placed his hands on my arms to steady me, he probably thought I'd fall if he didn't.

"That's alright. You're in pretty bad shape, so I'll make you something for free." He looked me over and I wondered how worse for wear I looked. Apparently I looked pretty bad if this man was willing to make me food on the house because of it.

Still though I didn't feel right about accepting food for free especially after all those customers left without paying for anything they had gotten from here. I guess my thoughts must have been visible again because the man gave me a reassuring smile "If you really feel like you should pay me then why don't you work here for the night?" he suggested.

"Work here? Will that really affect anything?" I asked him. What if I was no good at… doing whatever it is he was going to have me do? Or what if I frighten the customers again?

"Course it will, the customers will love you, I'm sure of it." Sir Tavern Owner assured me, letting me go and once again walking to the door. "Come on, I'll get you some food and after you finish, you can change into the tavern uniform."

* * *

"Eat up." Sir Tavern Owner told me, putting a plate full of food in front of me. The food both looked and smelled delicious, and I wasted no time in picking up the knife and fork in order to eat it.

"It looks delicious. Thank you." I told the tavern owner before beginning to cut into the food he had given me. It would have been rude of me not to thank this kind man for feeding me before I ate the food he had given me.

"Yeah, just wait 'till you try it." I heard Hawk mutter from beside me. What did he mean by that? I wondered as I lifted a piece of the food to my mouth.

I took a bite…. And I immediately knew what he meant. My stomach churned at the terrible taste. What even is this? I don't think I've ever tasted anything like it before.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" the man standing before me asked rhetorically with a large grin on his face. He clearly already knew the answer to that question, he knew his food tasted horrible.

Despite this, I nodded in agreement as tears started running down my cheeks but… "...It's delicious." I told him giving him a smile, his eyes widened in surprise before his lips morphed into a smile.

A silence fell over us as I continued to eat the food, at one point the blonde haired man left to get a drink for both me and himself. He gave me a glass of water after he sat down beside me while I believe he drank some kind of ale. Hawk had complained that he hadn't gotten him anything earning himself a hit on the head.

I ate a little under half the food before I decided I just couldn't take anymore and slid the plate forwards slightly. Sir Tavern Owner slid the plate over to Hawk after asking me if I was done and getting my nod of confirmation. "There. You can eat the rest of that."

"But your food's awful!" Hawk complained once more.

"Hmmm. Maybe I should have cooked you up for her instead." Sir Tavern Owner mentioned casually, his finger tapping his lip in thought.

Hawk froze at the remark before pulling the plate closer with his hoof and taking a big bite out of the food there. I giggled slightly at the scene as Sir Tavern Owner smirked victoriously.

"So, what were you doing in that armour?" Sir Tavern Owner asked me. Surprised, I turned towards him. I figured he would ask me about the armour eventually but the topic had kind of come out of nowhere.

"Oh… I… needed to get out." I told him hesitantly, what I had done and what I was doing was illegal, after all. I had pretended to be a Holy Knight in order to get out of the city and now I was going to find the Seven Deadly Sins with the intention of asking them to stop the Holy Knights.

"Get out of where?" Hawk asked me, curiously, pausing in his meal to do so.

"Did you escape from Liones?" Sir Tavern Owner asked me, placing his hand on my arm and rubbing it slightly. Was he trying to comfort me? Wait! How did he know that?!

"How… Did you…?" I asked completely taken aback by the question. Was there anything that could have given him an idea of where I came from? I didn't think so but it's possible I was mistaken.

"I used to work in Liones. I've seen that earring you're wearing before, it's one of a kind, right?" Sir Tavern Owner explained to me. Why do I get the feeling that isn't entirely true? ...I'm sure it's just my imagination, there's absolutely nothing that suggests that it isn't true, in fact there's more to suggest it is true.

"Did you know my mother?" I asked him, he probably would have had to in order to know about the earring, or at least he would have had to have known my father or Gil. This earring was made by mother after all. My brother gave it to me when I was 13, apparently father had told him to do so should anything happen to him before he could give it to me.

"Not all that well. I knew your father much better, I heard about the earring from him, he told me he was going to give it to his daughter when she turned 13." I winced slightly when he told me that, sure I had heard my father was going to give it to me when I was 13 but… that never came to be. "Did you have a particular reason to escape?" he asked me, it was a pretty obvious subject change, but I was glad he had done it, he must have noticed me wince when he mentioned my father.

"Yes… I'm trying to stop the Holy Knights." Judging from his wording earlier, Sir Tavern Owner already had an idea of what was going on in Liones, otherwise he wouldn't have used the word 'escape'. It made sense. I had heard that a bar was one of the best places to get information, if anyone had an idea of what it was going on, it would be someone that works in a bar.

"Stop them? Why? The Holy Knights are heroes, aren't they?" Hawk asked, curiously. Was I wrong? Did they not have any idea what was going on with the Holy Knights? Well, too late now.

"The Holy Knights… they are waging war against Britannia." I told them, they both looked shocked to hear this, Hawk more so than Sir Tavern Owner. However they did seem to believe me, so that was good. "A few days ago, the Holy Knights captured King Baltra and, as a result, the Kingdom of Liones as essentially fallen into their hands. In order to start a war they are forcibly recruiting people from the Kingdom. The men are to be trained as soldiers and the woman and children are to bring food for storage while the elderly are put into construction work."

"That's awful." Hawk commented, a frown on his face, I made a humming sound in agreement and took a breath in order to prepare to tell them the rest.

"And, without mercy, those who oppose them are…" Tears gathered in my eyes and a breath got caught in my throat as I thought of what happened to anyone that tried to argue against the Holy Knights. They were cut down without warning, right then and there.

"That does sound pretty bad. But, how are you going to stop them?" Sir Tavern Owner asked me. It was a fair question, I was up against Holy Knights and I was a girl that pretty clearly did not have the strength to go up against an Apprentice Holy Knight nevermind an entire army of full fledged ones.

"I… I am… going to... find the Seven Deadly Sins." I told them, now this was especially risky to tell them but… since they already knew I had good intentions and that the Holy Knights were doing awful things, I felt like they wouldn't expose me to the Holy Knights.

Hawk choked on his food and Sir Tavern Owner tensed up, they both seemed surprised by my revelation but that was to be expected. "The Seven Deadly Sins, huh? They're criminals, are you really sure you want to ask them for help?" Sir Tavern Owner asked me, his head was bowed and his hair was covering his eyes, I couldn't see his expression at all. I wonder what he's thinking about.

"I heard many wonderful stories about them from King Baltra, stories from when they still worked in the Kingdom, they were among the King's most powerful and trusted knights and… whenever I brought up the Seven Deadly Sins to my brother, his eyes would always light up." Despite that my brother never actually talked about them, I don't really understand why. I could tell that he loved the Seven Deadly Sins, so why didn't he want to talk about them? "I don't believe that the Seven Deadly Sins are bad people!"

"..." A silence fell over the three of us once more, I still couldn't see Sir Tavern Owner's expression and Hawk was looking over at him, seemingly waiting for something. "I see. In that case, I'll help you out."

"Huh?" I didn't understand why he said that, how could he help me out? Did he mean he was going to help me find the Seven Deadly Sins?

"I'll help you out. I'll do anything you need me to do." He told me, he was offering his help for me and the Kingdom. Although the wording kind of implies that he's doing it more for me than the Kingdom, that probably wasn't intentional though.

"Thank you Sir!" I gave him a huge smile and I clapped my hands together. But if he was going to help, would it not be better to know his name? I felt like it would really help us both out in the long run. "Um, Sir… What's your name?"

"It's Meliodas."

"What?!" I pushed myself backwards in my surprise and would have fallen off the chair if Meliodas hadn't caught me. I looked in between him and his wanted poster on the wall of the Tavern several times, comparing the two. He looked nothing like it! I didn't think that the Seven Deadly Sins would look exactly like their posters but the difference between the Meliodas holding me up and his wanted poster was immense there was almost nothing in common between the two.

"Surprised?" He grinned at me, picking me up and placing me on my feet beside him. I couldn't really think of anything to say so I simply nodded in response.

"As captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, you have my word that the Seven Deadly Sins will save the Kingdom of Liones from the Holy Knights." Sir Tavern Owner, who I now knew was the legendary Dragon's Sin of Wrath, proclaimed. I was so overcome by joy, hearing that from THE captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, that I tackled him in a hug. I think I almost knocked him over but he managed to catch himself pretty quickly.

I placed my hands on his shoulders to push myself away from him but his hands on my waist prevented me from getting very far. "Thank you."

* * *

Shortly after that Meliodas led me upstairs with Hawk following behind us. He had just told me to follow him so I could only assume he was going to take me to get changed into the uniform he had mentioned earlier.

"Hey miss, you haven't told us your name yet." Hawk mentioned. I paused, thinking back on the short time I had spent with them so far and he was right. I never did tell them my name.

"My name's Elizabeth." I told the big pig behind me turning my head to look at him.

"Well then Elizabeth, how come you had to wear that armour in order to escape?" Hawk asked me, I suppose I hadn't elaborated on that, all's I had said was I used it to escape.

"I had to use it in order to get out of the capital, they weren't letting non-knights out so I put on the armour to make them believe I was a knight and I also needed to hide my identity, regardless."

"'Hide your identity', how come?" Meliodas asked, jumping into the conversation, making me jump slightly in surprise. I didn't think he'd join in, I thought he was just going to listen to us talk.

"I don't know why but the Holy Knights seemed pretty adamant on keeping me in the city, they'd even gone so far as to have a Holy Knight watch me. So, even if they were letting non-knights out, they wouldn't let me out."

"You're amazing, Elizabeth! You managed to get out of the kingdom despite that setback." Hawk praised me, I gave a small smile but I didn't think the same way.

"Thanks but I disagree. I just got lucky, that's all. My entire escape was just… luck." I told him, my smile dropping. The more I thought about my escape the worse I felt, I wouldn't have gotten out if I wasn't lucky and, when I thought about it, I wouldn't have found Meliodas if I wasn't lucky either.

"I'm sure that's not true at all." Meliodas said to me giving me a grin "Some of your escape may have had to do with luck but I'm sure you wouldn't have gotten away if it was all luck."

I wasn't really sure how much I believed that sure he was almost definitely being sincere but he didn't know anything of my escape, there's no way he would know whether or not the entire escape was luck or not for sure. I appreciated his words all the same so I gave him a smile that I hoped conveyed my thanks.

* * *

"Um… Lord Meliodas… this is a little… revealing" I noted pulling on the very short skirt of the uniform he had given me, a blush on my cheeks and one of my hands resting on my chest.

"Are you not comfortable, Elizabeth?" Hawk asked me as Meliodas looked me up and down, I did notice he paused and frowned slightly once Hawk asked me if I wasn't comfortable though.

"No, it's not that, I don't mind it really. It's just a little more revealing than I'm used to, that's all." It was true, I wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest, it was just strange to be wearing something that showed of so much of my body.

"Hmmm, it suits you. But I better make sure it fits you properly." I barely had time to react before he was behind me and lifting up my skirt. I wasn't quite sure how that was letting him know if it fit me or not and I was pretty sure it didn't but these are completely foreign clothes to me so maybe what he was doing really was giving him the information he needed. But then again, I'm pretty sure he's just being a pervert.

"Hands off her, you pervert!" Hawk shouted at him, Meliodas obliged and moved back in front of me. I guess that's my answer, he really was just being a pervert even so I didn't really see the point in saying anything, Hawk already had and it isn't like he was making me uncomfortable. I know it's strange to think like that but…

"So, Elizabeth, you ready?" Meliodas asked me, walking over towards the bar. I thought over the question as I followed him. Was I ready? I wasn't sure.

"I don't know. This is my first time." I told him, I had never worked as a waitress before, least of all in a bar. I imagined working as a waitress at a bar and working as a waitress at a Cafe or Restaurant would be quite different.

"Ummm, your first time, huh? Can you repeat that but slower?" Meliodas asked me, I didn't have time to think about what he meant by that before Hawk cut into the conversation.

"Have you worked before, Elizabeth?"

I nodded my head in response "Yes. I worked in the Castle, I felt like I should help my brother with earning the money we needed." Gil and I were close with the royal family so they supported us for awhile but neither me nor Gilthunder wanted to keep it that way so while Gil earned money working as a Holy Knight I earned money working in the castle as a maid. "I was a maid. My brother and I wanted to make money on our own so Gilthunder started earning money when he became a Holy Knight and I took a job as a maid, although I did take care of the animals and plants sometimes."

Meliodas looked like he was about to say something when the door opened and several men came pouring in. "Well, looks like it's time for us to get to work." He told me gesturing to the men that had begun taking seats.

"I just have to take food and drink to them, right? I can do this!" I said more to myself than to Meliodas and Hawk. How hard could waitressing really be?

"You forgot taking orders." Hawk cut in. Okay, so maybe I forgot about that part but still… my work as a maid (plus taking care of the animals and plants) was a lot harder than most would think I was sure I could at least be a decent waitress.

* * *

…I was wrong…

Being a waitress was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I kept tripping and mixing up orders, I don't think I've gotten even one order right since I started working.

I should have figured from my experience starting out as a maid that this wasn't going to be anywhere near as easy as I thought it would be.

I had even dumped food and ale all over Meliodas, whom had gone upstairs to wash himself and change his clothes at mine and Hawk's insistence. He had walked upstairs saying he'd be five minutes tops.

"You okay, Elizabeth?" Hawk asked as he began to clean up the mess on the floor. I didn't answer as I picked myself up, briefly wondering how I hadn't got any food on me despite the fact I was covered in ale and the food constantly made a huge mess on the floor and the customers.

"I'm fine. I wasn't injured." I told him, he nodded at me as I turned to apologise to the customer that had likely just gotten food dumped on him.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" The man shouted at me, standing up from his seat, banging on the table as he did so. Jumping and flinching at the shout, I took a step backwards.

"I-I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to-"

"I don't care! You got me covered in this disgusting slop so confirmed! You will pay for it!" He yelled at me stepping forwards once I saw this I quickly took a step back.

The entire bar had gone silent as I shook in front of the large, angry man. I could tell just by looking that he was much bigger and stronger than I was. I didn't stand a chance against him if he tried to attack me, which looked pretty likely right now.

"Sir Twigo, please stop. She didn't do it on purpose." One of the people that had been sitting at the table with the man I had angered told him, also standing up from his seat as everyone else at the table followed suit.

"Unless you would like to pay for it to I suggest you shut up Alioni." Twigo told the man that had spoken, I saw the man give me an apologetic look before sitting back down and looking away. The others did the same and Twigo took another step towards me.

"Hey! Elizabeth didn't do anything wrong! Back off her!" Hawk exclaimed jumping in between me and Twigo. I guess he wasn't really sure what to do about the situation up until now, he certainly took awhile to step in.

Twigo simply looked down at him annoyed and kicked him away. "Ahh, Hawk!" He had landed on a table breaking it on collision and I could see blood on both him and the table.

"Your name's Elizabeth, huh? You know, someone named Elizabeth escaped from the capital not so long ago." Twigo told me continuing to step even closer to me as I continued to back up. With how crowded the tavern was I was lucky I hadn't backed into something yet but I was certainly glad I hadn't.

But… that sentence concerns me, did this man know that the Elizabeth that escaped from the capital and the Elizabeth standing in front of him are the same person? I hoped not, if Holy Knights came here now then the customers here would be in danger. If the Holy Knights wanted something then they wouldn't care who got hurt or even killed in the process. If he had an idea of who I was I had to throw him off, so I feigned ignorance to the whole thing "R-really?"

"Confirmed! You're Zaratras' brat!" Twigo yelled, making me jump once more. He already knew that I was the one that had escaped from the capital, thanks to that, feigning ignorance hadn't helped at all. What do I do now?

"What are you doing to my waitress?" I whirled around at the voice to see Meliodas, who was frowning at Twigo behind me. Meliodas was wet, his shirt was open and he had nothing on his feet. I didn't think of it before but maybe Meliodas would know what to do, he wouldn't let the people here get hurt.

"We were just talking, there's no need for concern." Twigo told him, much to my surprise, I wasn't expecting him to try to get Meliodas to step down. There was no way he'd know his identity and I didn't think he'd do that if he didn't think the person he was talking to was much stronger than him.

"Really? She seems awfully intimidated for someone who was 'just talking'." Meliodas pointed out moving so he was in between me and Twigo, having not believed Twigo's words.

Meliodas' shoulders were tense and he was bent slightly. Was he planning to attack? He couldn't fight Twigo here, someone will get hurt. I have to stop him. Maybe he wasn't going to fight Twigo here but just in case… "Please don't fight him here, I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"It's alright. I'll get him out and send him flying." he reassured me, he moved so fast after that I could barely see what happened. I think Meliodas threw him but whatever he did Twigo was no longer standing in the tavern. "I'll be right back, okay. This won't take long." Meliodas told me walking over the tables in the way and out the door of the tavern, that was now broken because of Twigo flying through it like he had.

The silence in the tavern continued up until a loud squeal reverberated through the tavern "Maaamaaaa!" Hawk ran out of the tavern with blood trickling down his body. Poor Hawk, that must be painful.

"I'm sorry." a man sat on the table that Twigo had been at said to me as I was about to follow Hawk outside, I think his name was... Alioni.

"Sorry for what?" I asked him stopping in my tracks, I threw a concerned look towards the door but I decided that Hawk's mum, who was apparently nearby, would be able to take care of it.

"What happened with Sir Twigo, you didn't deserve to be treated like that and I'm also sorry I didn't do anything to help you." he told me bowing down to me in his apology, the other men followed suit giving their own apologies.

"Oh, it's alright. You weren't the ones yelling at me and you did try to step in. I couldn't ask for anything more." I told them waving my hands, it really seemed like that man was scaring them, I could definitely see why they wouldn't step in too far, especially if it was for a stranger.

"My name's Alioni, I work as a knight in this area and so do these guys behind me." Alioni told me, well that certainly explained the armour. "And Sir Twigo is the Holy Knight that acts as our boss." I wasn't expecting that, after Alioni mentioned that the man remaining at the table were knights I figured that Twigo was too but I wasn't expecting him to be a Holy Knight.

My concern for Meliodas grew at this revelation. I wasn't really concerned at all for him at first, he was a member of the Seven Deadly Sins and the leader at that, he could easily handle a civilian or a knight. But Twigo is a Holy Knight, would Meliodas be okay?

Running outside, with Alioni and the other knights following me, I searched the area for Meliodas. It didn't take me long to find him, or rather it didn't take me long to find Twigo. I assumed Meliodas was in front of him as he was clearly talking to someone. I couldn't quite make out what he was saying but he didn't seem all that pleased.

The next moment he lifted his sword and the moment after that he went flying. I guess when Meliodas said he was going to 'send him flying' he really meant he was going to send him flying.

"Sir Twigo!" The Knights that had followed me exclaimed, running in the direction he had gone. Alioni handed me some money, said goodbye and then went to catch up to them. I simply stared at Meliodas as he walked over to me. His shirt was falling down and I could see something on his arm, his mark maybe?

"Lord Meliodas, are you alright?" I asked running over to him to check, I couldn't see any injuries and he looked like he had no problem with Twigo but still… Once I was close enough I noticed that the thing on his arm really was his mark, a dragon to represent the Dragon's Sin of Wrath.

"Nishishi, of course." He told me puffing out his chest slightly. I chuckled at him and handed him the money I had been given. He took it and placed his hand on the small of my back and led me back into the tavern. "Come on, we're done for tonight so let's get everyone out, okay?

 **That's the end of chapter 2. I think this is still going rather well.**

 **Oh and if anyone's curious Twigo and Elizabeth have met before but Eli doesn't remember having met him. I might make an extra chapter for that if anyone's interested.**


	3. Sword in the Ground

**Spectrum of Passion Chapter 3: Sword in the Ground**

 **I forgot to mention this earlier but Elizabeth is 17 in this story.**

 _ **Review response**_

 _ **Otakugirl41: I'm glad you like it, I'm sorry I took so long to get this chapter out. Hopefully the next one won't be such a long wait.**_

I stood at the window looking at the scenery passing by, apparently Meliodas' Tavern was built on the back of Hawk's mother, who was a giant green pig. I did wonder how Hawk was so much smaller, pink and able to talk when I first learned of her but I guess he got it from his father's side.

I'd met Hawk's Mother last night and that was when Meliodas had told me that we were going to be moving elsewhere in the morning, said moving is what woke me up, it was quite… shaky. I had fallen out of my bed thanks to that, my own fault really, Meliodas did warn me about that before we went to bed.

It was pretty early in the morning, and it was a cloudy day. It was odd seeing the scenery move by like this, the whole riding on the back of a giant pig in a tavern shaped like a hat was pretty strange really. I'd never heard nor seen anything like it.

I wonder how long Meliodas has had the Boar Hat, anyway. Since he was a Holy Knight up until ten years ago, the bar probably isn't more than ten years old. Maybe I'll ask him later, maybe I could ask him about the other Seven Deadly Sins while I'm at it oh and maybe-

My thoughts were abruptly cut off as the Boar Hat jolted making me stumble backwards and fall over. My arms kept me from falling over completely, my head didn't hit the floor at least. It didn't really hurt at all, I was pretty used to falls. I fell over a lot when I was working as a maid, sometimes I was even carrying some pretty heavy items, so those falls were quite a bit worse.

Pulling myself up, I decided to head downstairs after I put on the uniform Meliodas had given me. I couldn't exactly go down there in my underwear after all.

* * *

"Good morning." I said from the stairs as I saw Meliodas at the bar eating some food. He paused in his eating and looked up at me giving me a smile in greeting before shoving the food he was about to eat in his mouth. Hawk was nowhere to be seen, I guess he was still sleeping, scratch that I know he's still sleeping, I can hear his snores from here.

"Good morning." Meliodas said after he had swallowed his food, I returned the smile he had given me earlier and walked over to him. I sat down next to him where another plate of food was located, when he gestured towards the plate meant for me. "I see you're wearing your uniform."

I nodded at his comment "Yes. I… don't really have anything else to wear." I told him, blushing at the reminder of my lack of clothing, I definitely needed more it would be best for me to ask Meliodas about getting me more clothing.

I opened my mouth to ask him about my clothes situation but he beat me to it. "I see. In that case, we'll go clothes shopping when we reach our destination."

"We?" I wasn't too surprised by his suggestion of clothes shopping, I had already made it pretty clear that I didn't really have any clothes, so it wouldn't be strange to think he'd make the suggestion of going to get some for me before I could ask him about getting some more clothes. What surprised me was the use of the word 'we'. Did that mean he was going to come with me? Why?

"Yep. The Holy Knights are after you and they know exactly what you look like. You'd be in trouble if there was any Holy Knights there. So until we can hide your identity I'll come with you." Meliodas told me, he had a point, I didn't stand a chance against a Holy Knight and if they recognised me they'd catch me for sure but Meliodas would be able to fight them off, that being said I didn't want him to put himself in more danger than he already was just for me.

"You don't have to do that for me. I'm not worth it." I told him shaking my head slightly, looking down at my food and pushing it around with my fork.

"Don't say that. I wouldn't have offered if I didn't think you were worth it." Meliodas told me, that was sweet of him to say but he was probably just saying it to be nice, he didn't even know me.

"How could you say that? You don't even know me." It was then a thought struck me. Meliodas knew my father, they even seemed to be friends. Is it possible he's doing this because I'm his friend's daughter.

I don't know whether Meliodas was going to answer that question or not, I wasn't looking at him so I couldn't see any sign of answering but whether he was going to or not didn't matter as Hawk choose now to enter the room. I hadn't even realised the snoring had stopped.

"Good morning!" Hawk said rather loudly, and we watched as Hawk walked out of the kitchen with his head held high.

"Good morning." I said back, going back to eating my food which had been left untouched since the first bite I took out of it.

"Oh, Elizabeth, why are you wearing that?" Hawk asked me having noticed I was wearing the Boar Hat uniform, it was an understandable question, considering it was the uniform for a bar and we definitely weren't opening for a while. As far as Hawk knew I had no reason to wear this right now.

"I don't have any other clothes." I told him, shoveling another piece of food in my mouth and wincing slightly thanks to the taste that came with it.

"What about that Jumpsuit you were wearing yesterday? You can't wear that?" Hawk asked me, curiously.

"Well… I could it's just… it's dirty." I didn't know how long I had been wearing it exactly but I knew it was definitely dirty, I had been walking for miles in a heavy suit of armour I must have worked up quite the sweat. "I'd rather not wear it right now."

"Oh, in that case I'll wash it for you Elizabeth." Hawk told me, I smiled at him but I wasn't entirely sure about accepting his offer, Meliodas and Hawk had already done so much for me, I felt I should wash my own clothes at least besides…

"That's nice of you Hawk but… you're a pig." I told him, hoping I hadn't come across as rude by saying that. I just didn't think a pig had the proper… attributes to wash clothes.

"While it's true most pigs wouldn't be able to accomplish such a task, I am a special pig. I am capable of cleaning your clothes and much more!" Hawk said in return, he didn't seem to have taken offense but that could mainly be due to him understanding where my doubt came from. Hawk's head was once again held high and his hoof was held at his chest, I wasn't sure if the action could really be described like that but I just couldn't think of any other way to describe it.

"...Even so" I said, not really sure if I entirely believed Hawk's words, I mean he _was_ a special pig (he could speak English after all) but physically he just didn't appear able to do something like washing clothes. "You two have done so much for me and will be doing much more, I can't ask you to do something I could do myself."

"Well, I really wouldn't mind washing your clothes for you but if you really want to do it yourself then..." Hawk gave in, sounding rather hesitant to do so, I don't really understand why but perhaps he just really liked washing clothes. If that was the case then I guess he really could wash clothing like he had claimed he could but he could just be disappointed he couldn't prove my previous statement wrong or wasn't given the opportunity to show off.

"Thank you."

* * *

"How long have you had the Boar Hat, Lord Meliodas?" I asked Meliodas, pushing my plate away from me, once again I didn't finish the whole thing but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"10 years, I started the Boar Hat shortly after we were run out of the city." He told me, picking up my plate and handing it to Hawk so he could eat what I had hadn't putting his own food on the plate as he did. I guess he couldn't stand eating too much of it either.

"What happened to the other Seven Deadly Sins, anyway?" I asked him, I hear the Seven Deadly Sins were together when they got accused of killing my father but they most certainly weren't now. In wonder what happened.

"We all went our separate ways, I'm afraid I don't know where any of them are. Which is why you are going to help me find information about them to track them down considering you need them too." Meliodas replied, he didn't exactly tell me what I wanted, I already figured that the Seven Deadly Sins had separated but he did say something that disappointed me. So Meliodas had no clue where the others were and since they were criminals they would probably be laying low. It was possible they weren't even in Liones anymore.

Wait 'too'...? "You were searching for them, Lord Meliodas?" I asked him, that was the only explanation I could think of for his phrasing. Meliodas simply nodded his head in response to my question and I tilted my head in confusion. It made sense but he had also implied that he needed them so he wasn't searching for them to catch up if that was the case then what did he need? "How come?"

"I need to ask them something. 10 years ago one of the Seven Deadly Sins knocked me out. I want to find out who it was and why they did it." Meliodas told me, my eyes widened in surprise. One of the sins knocked out their captain, did that mean they were a traitor? No, not necessarily, there's no telling what reason they had for doing it, betrayal may not have been part of their motive.

Silence fell over us, I was busy thinking about what Meliodas had told me and I guess Meliodas and Hawk didn't have anything to say. Shaking myself out of my stupor I opened my mouth to ask my next question. "So you've been searching for them for awhile then?"

"Yeah. I haven't had any luck but with you I'm sure we'll harbor some results." Meliodas winked at me and I blinked, slightly confused. How would I change that situation? Maybe it was because there would be more listening out for any information on the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins now.

"Hmm" I hummed, thinking back on what I had learned about the Seven Deadly Sins trying to think of a clue as to where we could find any of them. But alls I knew about them were the nasty rumours, none of which held any clues as to where to find them and some facts like Diane is a Giant and King is a Fairy.

...Wait. A Fairy? I saw one of those once, at mine and Gil's house. The fairy I had seen had no wings however my brother had referred to him as a fairy, so he definitely was one. I was confused as to the lack of wings as I had always thought that all fairies had wings but I guess that's not the case or maybe it is and the fairy was just hiding them, either way there was no doubt in my mind that the floating boy was a fairy. Thinking back on it, I'm sure I saw a mark of sorts on his thigh. It might be a bit of a stretch but could the fairy I saw have been King?

"I think I've seen one of them." I told Meliodas, he should be able to confirm whether the fairy I saw was King or not.

"Are you sure? You've never left Liones' capital before and it's pretty unlikely one of the Seven Deadly Sins would be there." Hawk sounded doubtful, understandable since he was right. It was pretty unlikely one of the Seven Deadly Sins would be in the capital. I wasn't sure if I had really seen one of them myself.

"I'm not sure but still… it's possible that the fairy I saw was Lord King." I told him biting on my lip slightly and looking down at the bar.

"I see. In that case, you'll have to explain every detail you can. King is a fairy so his appearance probably hasn't changed but just in case, you should probably mention anything he had on him as well." Meliodas told me. I nodded in agreement and tried to remember as much detail as possible about the fairy.

"Well, he had childish features and his hair and eyes were both brown. He was also holding a green pillow-" I was about to mention more when Meliodas cut me off.

"That sounds like King alright. Was the green pillow mostly light green?" Meliodas asked me, his hand cupping his chin and his green eyes closed.

"With dark green circles, yes." I told him nodding my head. I wasn't quite sure whether circles was the right word to use or not but I'm sure Meliodas would know what I meant, especially if he had seen it before. Which he should have if it did belong to King.

"Definitely King." Meliodas nodded his head, still in the same position he had been in before.

"Really? You figured that out from a pillow?" Hawk asked him. I was curious about this too, how did a pillow allow him to know for sure that the fairy I had told him about was King?

"The pillow Elizabeth was talking about is one of Chastiefol's forms." Meliodas answered, much to Hawk's confusion. Had Hawk not heard of the Sacred Treasures before? Or was he confused by the different forms part?

I guess it was the former as Hawk's next question suggested "Chastiefol?"

"Chastiefol is the name of Lord King's Sacred Treasure. The Spirit Spear Chastiefol, I read it in a book. Most of the book consisted of theories but some of it was fact, the part about the Sacred Treasure's being one of them." I answered, deciding I might as well since I knew the answer.

"They have books on us?" Meliodas asked me seeming genuinely surprised. I guess he doesn't go into many bookstores or libraries or he at least had never looked in the area those kind of books would be found in.

"Yes. I believe the one I have is the one that contains the most information about the Seven Deadly Sins. Most of it is theory but still…" I told him, thinking back on the information in the book I had been given for my birthday. The names were there and so were their titles and symbols as well as where the symbols were located. The names of the Sacred Treasures were given and there was some information on what they (Both the Seven Deadly Sins and the Sacred Treasures) could do. What clan a majority of them were from was there and their birthdays were also listed. The only ones whose clans weren't mentioned were Meliodas, Merlin and Gowther, so there were naturally quite a few rumours as to what clans they were from. Pretty much anything else in the book was theories about the Seven Deadly Sins as a whole and individually.

"And these books sell?" Hawk asked me, I simply nodded in response. Several people bought those books, they were actually pretty popular.

"One thing bothers me though." Meliodas commented, bringing our attention over to him. He was frowning and looking forward away from both Hawk and I.

"What's that, Lord Meliodas?" I asked him, I had a feeling he wasn't talking about the book. The chances of the book bothering him were pretty low, he'd probably heard several theories about him and his group, so the book and its content probably wasn't bothering him. Especially since he didn't know exactly what was in it.

"Why was King with your brother, a Holy Knight?" he pondered, I'm not sure whether he was answering my question or just thinking out loud but either way I ended up with an answer. But… why was King with Gil? King was a member of the Seven Deadly Sins, he has a warrant for arrest, he shouldn't be with a Holy Knight. That was strange.

* * *

We had arrived at our destination rather quickly, a lot faster than I had thought we would and so we walked out of the Boar Hat and Hawk's Mama burrowed down.

"Where are we, Lord Meliodas?" I asked him as we walked over to the village we had stopped at.

"This is Bernia Village, Elizabeth. This place makes the best ale, we'll be restocking the tavern here while we get you some more clothes." Meliodas told me walking backwards, his hands looking like they were clasped behind his back.

I nodded, looking past Meliodas to the village ahead. Excited to see a new place, up until now I had never left the capital before. Everything I knew of the world outside came from books and other people. Bernia Village was one of the places I had learned of, mainly thanks to the ale the village was well known for, Bernia Ale. I had never tried it before, but I was interested in trying some, I wonder if Meliodas would let me have some later. He probably would but I was kind of hesitant to ask, I had never drank outside the comfort of my own home before and I wasn't sure if I was comfortable with starting to do so.

"So have you got any clothes in mind or are you just going to decide when you get there?" Hawk asked me, I hadn't thought about any clothes in particular since it would have been a little hard to choose clothes prior to actually going into the clothing store.

"I'm going to look around when we get there but I'm planning on getting a variety of clothing." I told Hawk, I wanted to get some dresses and tops and skirts and pants, pretty much a little bit of everything really.

"Does that include underwear?" Meliodas asked me, my eyes widened and blood rushed to my face.

As I tried to sputter out a response, Hawk jumped on Meliodas, knocking him to the ground. "Don't say that to her, you perv!" Hawk yelled and began stomping on him. If it wasn't for the fact that Meliodas didn't seem harmed at all by this, I would have probably been considerably more concerned but I still didn't want Hawk to do that to him just because he asked me a question.

"It's alright, Hawk. I don't mind so let's just go shopping now, okay?" I told him, leaning down and placing my hand on his back.

Hawk paused and looked up at me, a slight frown on his face. "Are you sure, Elizabeth?" I smiled and nodded, making a small humming noise to answer him. Meliodas' question hadn't bothered me at all it had just surprised me and it was a little embarrassing to get asked something like that so bluntly but it hadn't made me uncomfortable at all so there was no reason to get all worked up over it.

"Alright, if you're sure Elizabeth." Hawk relented moving off of Meliodas allowing him to get up. Meliodas threw me a mischievous look before turning around and continuing the walk towards Bernia. Hawk followed after him whilst I blinked and blushed before following after him myself.

* * *

"Look at all those people, Lord Meliodas." I pointed out a large gathering of people ahead of us. What were they doing? It looked like the whole village was gathered there. Was some kind of festival taking place or something?

"Hmmm, can't say I've ever seen anyone in Bernia do this before." Meliodas noted looking over at the people I had pointed out, although he had probably already noticed them by the time I had actually spoken out my observation.

"Are they participating in some kind of festival?" I asked, I had never seen nor heard of a festival like this before but considering I had never left the capital that wasn't so strange.

"Maybe. Let's go check it out." With that Meliodas walked over to the crowd and I followed him once I realised this. "Yo" Meliodas pulled his hand out of his pocket and raised it in greeting.

I waved my own hand in a greeting of my own. "Hey" I thought it would be rude to just start talking to the large group of strangers without at least saying hello first.

Some of the villagers in the crowd turned to look at us, while a majority of them carried on doing… whatever it is they were doing. The ones that had turned to look at us however began talking amongst themselves.

"Oh, it's the tavern owner."

"And he brought a girl with him."

"She's so pretty!"

"Is she his girlfriend?"

"Not a chance."

"We have more important things to worry about!"

"Yeah. We have a sword stuck in the ground after all."

It was then that Meliodas spoke up "A sword in the ground. Why is that important?" He asked, I was confused too. The sword seems to be causing a problem of some kind, but how? It was just a sword, even if it was stuck in the ground, wouldn't it be more of a minor inconvenience than a problem?

"That sword is cutting of our water supply! We can't make our ale without it!" One of the villagers exclaimed pointing towards a sword that was very much stuck in the ground as proven by a few other villagers trying to pull it out. But how did that sword get stuck there in the first place and how was it cutting of their water supply?

The only thing I could think of was a Holy Knight. A Holy Knight would be able to thrust a sword into the ground with enough force to keep it stuck there without someone with the same amount of strength or stronger than a Holy Knight. A Holy Knight would also be able to use their power to block the water, well some of them would, others wouldn't have a power that could do that so they couldn't even if they wanted to.

"Did one of the Holy Knights do this?" I asked the villagers, already sure I knew the answer. I was positive a Holy Knight had done this, it was just a question of which one.

"Yeah. I don't know why the others are bothering to even try pull it out. We can't pull out the sword of a Holy Knight." One of the villagers stated, narrowing his eyes at the villagers attempting to pull out the sword.

"My friend, a member of the Seven Deadly Sins could pull it out." A voice stated much to mine, Hawk's and Meliodas' surprise. We spun around to find the owner of the voice and our eyes landed on a child grinning up at the villagers. This kid knew one of the Seven Deadly Sins? Or was he just saying that?

"Do you know him?" I asked the blonde next to me, making sure not to use his name. I wasn't sure if it would be okay to use it or not so I just decided to go with the safe option and not use it for now.

"No, I've seen him around before but that's about it." He told me as the villagers began yelling at Mead.

"Mead! Don't you think you've done enough!"

"Yeah! You shouldn't mention _them_!"

"You'll get us all killed!"

"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

It wasn't long before some children began throwing rocks at Mead, some of them hitting him and absolutely no one stepped in to stop them from doing this. It was at this point I decided to step in myself.

"Please stop." I told them, but they either ignored me or didn't hear me as the children continued throwing rocks and the adults continued shouting. "Please stop it!" I yelled, hoping they'd hear me this time or if they had heard me the first time around at least be startled into silence.

It worked apparently as everyone quieted down and looked over at me. "Why are you all treating him like that?" I asked them, trying to find out why they were acting like they were. Not that anything they could say would make what they were doing all right.

"He was the one responsible for angering the Holy Knight. He's the reason why we can't make ale anymore."

"Is that it?" Meliodas asked them, sounding less than pleased with their answer. I wasn't either. True Mead may have done something really bad but he didn't deserve this kind of treatment, Mead probably didn't intend for this to happen.

The villagers seemed to be about to start yelling at us for interfering, looking offended by our actions when another interjected "I agree with them. You shouldn't throw or allow the throwing of rocks at Mead. I don't want to see this happen ever again, you hear me." An elderly man told the crowd.

"But Mayor-" One of them said as they rest frowned and began making protests of their own.

"You hear me!" The elderly man, apparently the mayor of Bernia Village, told them a little harsher than last time, the protests instantly died out and the villagers looked between themselves still frowning.

"Yes Mayor" they chorused, bowing slightly to him. I'm not sure how I feel about them being ordered to do this but at least they won't do it anymore, it's something.

"That Mead… he's a good kid but…" the mayor started, trailing of. I looked over at him as Meliodas looked around. What was he looking for? My eyes flickered over to him for a moment but I ultimately decided to talk to the mayor before asking Meliodas what he was looking for.

"But…" I prompted him to continue hoping to get more information about what happened so I could see if I could help in any way.

He looked over to me and I tilted my head, blinking. "Mead was adopted you see, by the whole village." he told me, so was his reason for doing this similar to my reason for acting out? Possibly, the mayor wouldn't have mentioned it if he didn't think it was involved with his prank. "Originally he was extremely well behaved no pranks or anything but that all changed one day, he just started pulling pranks on everyone he could. Some of them were dangerous, not intentionally of course but the point still stands."

I understood that, I too was adopted and I too did things I shouldn't have in order to gain attention. I had never meant to hurt anyone but that was what ended up happening, I was more sure now than ever that Mead hadn't meant for this to happen. "Thank you, sir." I bowed to him, he bowed his head to me in return and I whirled around and looking for Mead. It quickly became clear neither he nor Meliodas were around anymore though so I sped of in the direction I was facing, looking for any signs of either Meliodas or Mead.

"Elizabeth, wait up!" Hawk yelled at me. I stopped and waited for Hawk to catch up, I had thought that Hawk was faster than I was but I suppose he would have more trouble getting past all the people than I would so maybe that's what was holding him back.

"Hawk, you were still here?" I asked him, I honestly hadn't noticed him until he had called out to me. I had thought he'd gone with Meliodas when he left but apparently not. Maybe Hawk knows where Meliodas went and with any luck Mead will be with Meliodas. Normally I wouldn't consider that a possibility but Mead had mentioned being friends with one of the Seven Deadly Sins, there was no way Meliodas wouldn't look into that considering he needed to find the Seven Deadly Sins both for his own reasons and to save Liones.

"Yeah. Meliodas went back to the Boar Hat with that kid so I waited around to tell you where they went." Hawk told me, I smiled at him and patted him on the head in thanks. So Mead was with Meliodas and at the Boar Hat too, that was good.

"Thanks, Hawk." I told him standing up and turning to run towards the Boar Hat.

"Elizabeth!"

* * *

Stopping just outside the Boar Hat, I leaned against the door to catch my breath, I probably shouldn't have ran here. In the time it took me to catch my breath Hawk caught up with me and I turned to open the door. I saw Mead and Meliodas sat at a table and walked over to them. "Oh, you're back Elizabeth, Hawk." Meliodas commented, I waved at him in greeting before turning my attention to Mead, who was looking up at me.

"I heard from the village mayor, Mead." I told him, one of my hands placed on my hip and my other held up, wagging slightly. "You're a big prankster, aren't you?"

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Mead asked, looking away from me, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed.

"I pulled a lot of pranks to when I was little. My father scolded me all the time for them." I told him, kneeling on the ground and smiling up at the boy sat in front of me.

"...Humph! Good for you! Congrats!" He told me, closing his eyes in a huff.

"... I wanted his attention… because he wasn't my real father" I told Mead, still smiling up at him, Mead opened his eyes and looked at me. "I pulled several pranks in order to get his attention, most of them were minor annoyances at most but my father always scolded me for doing it. The pranks gave me attention but… it wasn't good enough. I didn't want the attention to be negative so I tried to impress him instead." My expression fell, remembering what had happened and every attempt before that.

"What… happened?" Mead asked, no doubt having caught onto my reason for telling this story. I took a breath to tell the rest of my story, I had to get the rest of it out.

"I am a druid and so was my father, my father tried to train me but no matter what we did I just couldn't use any powers. Eventually I told my father just to give up trying to train me. I was a disappointment,." I still am a disappointment "It was because of that, that I decided to show my father I could do something."

"Well that doesn't sound so bad." Hawk commented, I winced in response. It was that bad, I didn't mean for it to be , I didn't mean for it to happen but it did and it was all my fault.

"It started of with just trying to get my powers to work, I tried to grow a flower or heal a sick plant or even the injured people I came across. But it didn't work, no matter what I tried it didn't work. I don't know why I expected otherwise to be honest, I already knew I couldn't do it."

"Elizabeth, you were pretty young then right? Perhaps you were just too young to use your powers." Meliodas told me. I shook my head, that wasn't it. Druids were born with the ability to heal, so I should have been able to heal small things even at the age of 6 but I couldn't. And besides…

"I'm 17 now and I still can't use them." I told him, looking down at my lap my hands clenched into fists. Silence fell and I looked up, Meliodas' eyes were narrowed and Mead was shifting around nervously.

"So, eventually I decided to run away, just for a little while." I continued my story, I skipped a few details but I didn't think they were necessary to the story. "To prove I could protect myself." Hawk gasped and Meliodas' eyes widened, I guess they figured out what happened. "I was attacked. The men that attacked me were rogue Holy Knights after my father. My father came to rescue me but… One of them could but a block of sorts on powers. So my father couldn't use his powers and that put him at a great disadvantage. If it wasn't for the Holy Knights that heard my screaming... my father... would have... died that day." As I shared my story, my nails dug into my palms and tears gathered in my eyes. That day could have ended so differently, and it was all my fault. I almost killed my own father.

Mead slammed the table with his hand, his whole body shaking "My… My… Mum and Dad were travellers… A few years ago, they both fell victim to an epidemic when they stopped by Bernia…" Mead told us, looking down at the table. "I was alone... But the villagers took me in and raised me in place of my parents… I… was really happy." Mead took a lot of pauses in his story, it was no doubt painful for him to recall such memories. Placing my hand on his back, I hoped to comfort him at least a little bit. "But even then, I didn't belong to a family, and I was jealous of everyone else who had families… I told lies… I pulled pranks…"

Mead moved to wipe the tears that were falling with his sleeve and ended up moving away from my hand while he did so. I stood up and bent my body slightly with my hands placed on the edge of the table. "Is that why you put the worm in the Holy Knight's drink?" I asked him, trying to keep the question as soft as possible, I didn't want him to feel accused of anything.

"Hell no!" Mead suddenly yelled, startling me. I gave a small yelp and stumbled backwards slightly, Hawk visibly jumped and released a squeal while Meliodas just… blinked. "That bastard… That Holy Knight made fools out of all of us!" I was a little taken aback by the kids language, I had never really heard a child swear before but that was really not important right now, I don't know why I'm thinking about this. "Everyone in Bernia put so much effort into making the best ale, this year's ale was the best we'd ever made… But not only did they take it all as taxes…" Mead went on to explain that one of the Holy Knight's had said that the ale was 'only slightly better than a horse's piss' and after that Mead had put the worm in his drink and the Holy Knight thrust his sword into the ground.

Raking my brain I once again tried to think of a Holy Knight that would do this, but once again they were way too many suspects. Lately not only were the Holy Knights capable of doing such a thing, many would as well.

"The Holy Knights are all shams."

"So what you said about being friends with one of the Seven Deadly Sins, was that not true?" Meliodas asked him, I moved over to stand next to Meliodas and awaited his answer.

"Well… I've met one, in the Forest of White Dreams, but I wouldn't say we're friends exactly." Mead told us sheepishly, avoiding eye contact and scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, so why didn't that member of the Seven Deadly Sins pull out the sword?" Hawk asked Mead. I was wondering too, every member of the Seven Deadly Sins should be able to pull out the sword so what reason did this particular member have for refusing?

"She said she would if someone else didn't in the space of two days. She didn't really say why though." Mead told us "I could take you too her if you want."

"I see. In that case, I'd like to take you up on that offer. We have business with her." Meliodas agreed I was a little surprised he had done that but I guess Mead would be safe considering he's obviously been in there before and came out alright, probably more than once and he'd have two members of the Seven Deadly Sins there to protect him if something were to happen, Hawk and I would be able to take Mead and run away from danger while Meliodas and, um, the other member held it of. Not to mention he might be able to get us to the member of the Seven Deadly Sins faster so I suppose there was more reason to take him along than not to.

"Alright but... I have to do something first!" Mead yelled jumping from the chair he was sitting on and running out the door.

"Huh? I wonder what he has to do." Hawk pondered out loud, meanwhile I looked over at the posters on the wall. There were only two female members of the Seven Deadly Sins. So it had to be one of them, right? But which one?

"It's probably Diane. She's the only one I can think of that would help but leave it this long." Meliodas told me, I looked over at him and tilted my head, silently asking him to explain a little more. "Diane is a giant, they aren't usually very well received so she likely wanted to avoid going out in the open. She'd probably want to help but would only help as a last resort."

I see. That made sense. Diane seems like a sweet girl, I can't wait to meet her in person!

* * *

Meliodas had told us he wanted to help out the villagers by pulling out the sword before we went to meet Diane. So we made our way over to the sword stuck in the ground.

Upon arrival we saw the villagers pulling on a rope tied to the sword all working together to try and pull it out. Mead was at the front, helping them to pull it out. So this is what he was talking about.

It was really moving to see the villagers work together like this, especially when they were so against Mead earlier. Mead yelled as two knights laughed and poked fun at their efforts.

Unfortunately, they couldn't even budge the sword even with all their efforts. Meliodas walked forward and took the mugs the two knights were drinking from, much to their confusion. "Guys that don't understand the taste of alcohol don't deserve to drink this alcohol." Meliodas told them drinking both mugs as the ropes broke and the villagers fell down.

Meliodas placed the mugs down upon finishing and grasped the hilt of the sword. "That was good. Sorry, I don't have anything on me to pay you with… so how 'bout this?" Meliodas asked and with that he pulled out the sword effortlessly. Everyone was amazed at how easily he removed the sword from the ground, well amazed and in disbelief.

A rumbling sound was heard and the knights sitting nearby questioned it "What's… that sound?" the next moment a large geyser of water erupted underneath them, shooting them up into the air.

Amazing… This is the strength of one of the Seven Deadly Sins I thought in awe looking at Meliodas, who was looking at the sword he pulled out mumbling something about selling it, in amazement.

"Hey are you one of-?" Mead tried to ask before Meliodas cut him off.

"Yep! I'm the real proud owner of a bar!" Meliodas told him, gently turning Mead around as Mead protested. Meliodas quietly told him something and Mead made a small noise in response. "But enough about that. Don't you have something to do?"

"Mead…"

"Um… We're sorry."

"Can you forgive us…?"

I smiled as the villagers apologised to Mead, they understood now. Everyone could go back to getting along now. "Humph… forgive or not… for someone like me…"

Meliodas pushed Mead forward slightly, encouraging to go over to them "Here, go!" As Mead ran forward in tears Meliodas said something else "No matter what lies you tell, you can't lie to your own heart." I looked over at him and saw how sad he looked, I wanted to comfort him, wanted to do something but… I just didn't know what to say or do.

"Lord... Meliodas?" I asked, I had to try something, he turned to look at me but before I could say or do anything else we were surrounded by the villagers, all thanking Meliodas for pulling the sword out, some of them suggesting a celebration.

* * *

A while later Meliodas, Hawk and I had finished shopping, getting help from all the villagers. The bar was restocked and I had lovely new clothes.

"Mead, are you still going to take us to that member of the Seven Deadly Sins you told us about?" Meliodas asked the boy, kneeling down so he was closer to his height.

"Yes, of course. I'm sure Miss Diane wouldn't mind me bringing her captain to her." Mead told him, grinning. Meliodas had told Mead who he was, feeling confident that he could get away with doing so. He had made Mead promise, he wouldn't tell anyone about him being the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins of course and Mead had agreed easily, telling us he had agreed to a similar thing with Diane.

"Great, as soon as we find her, we'll take you back to Bernia and then be on our way. Meet us tomorrow morning here at the Boar Hat." Meliodas told him and Mead agreed.

We moved to open the bar and prepared for the celebration the villagers were having here tonight. I think I did a lot better this time around.


	4. Serpent in the Dream Forest

**Spectrum of Passion Chapter 4: Serpent in the Dream Forest  
**

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"This is the Forest of White Dreams, this place is said to be extremely dangerous. Very few would risk going in there for anything, not even Holy Knights would go in here." Mead told us as we looked up at the forest just on the outskirts of the village.

"If it's so dangerous, why did you go in there?!" Hawk asked him, Mead stiffened and spun around to face the pig.

"So that's why Diane is in there!" Meliodas stated, slamming his fist into his hand and interrupting anything Mead might have tried to say.

"I suppose it does make for a good hiding spot." I commented. Not only was Diane completely hidden from view, not many people would go in there, lessening her chances of being found. Although if she has to hide like this I guess Diane's wanted poster is a lot more accurate than Meliodas'.

* * *

Having entered the Forest of White Dreams we followed Mead to get to Diane apparently she was usually in a clearing within the forest.

"Man, it's creepy in here." Hawk looked around the forest, he certainly looked pretty creeped out. I didn't really understand why, I wasn't creeped out in the slightest.

"You think so? I think it's really beautiful." I said in response, admiring the forest, I really did think it was really pretty.

"You're weird, big sis." Mead told me, I couldn't see his face but I could tell he had a large grin on his face, I could hear it.

I blinked and my face went red, was I weird? For thinking that the Forest of White Dreams was pretty. I didn't really think there was anything wrong with that but still...

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being weird. Besides beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?" Meliodas spoke up, like with Mead I couldn't see his face but unlike with Mead I couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling at all.

"Yeah, I guess." Mead agreed, huffing slightly and taking a look around the Forest of White Dreams. "I suppose I can see why big sis thinks it's pretty."

* * *

Meliodas came to a sudden stop, Hawk and I stopped shortly after having noticed his halt and Hawk called out to Mead who stopped and turned around.

"Is something wrong, Lord Meliodas?" I asked him, leaning to the side and trying to catch a glimpse at his expression. He was frowning and looking towards the shrubs on our right side without turning his head.

"Something's been watching us for a while now." Meliodas responded, his green eyes narrowing.

"Oh, that's probably just the Prankster Imps. They're very timid creatures so they watch anyone new that comes into the forest." Mead told us, shrugging his shoulders, unconcerned. I suppose he would be, he has been in here before and that would mean he likely already knew about the Prankster Imps.

"What?! Are they gonna try something?!" Hawk squealed looking around to try and spot creatures surrounding us. "I mean I could take them but I'd rather not have to!"

"Probably not Hawk. We may be strangers but Mead's been here before, they'll recognise him." I reassured him, pretty confident that we were fine. "Besides Prankster Imps aren't known for harming people, they usually just chase them away so they probably wouldn't try to hurt us regardless."

"I don't like the use of 'probably' and 'usually'." Hawk commented, sweating slightly, however he did seem a little calmer.

"You seem to know quite a bit about Prankster Imps, big sis. They're not really common knowledge so… how come?" I blinked, Prankster Imps weren't well known. Howzer had always said that my brother and I knew a lot of things that most didn't but I had never really mentioned Prankster Imps before now so I hadn't realised they fell into that.

"I read it in a book. My older brother insists I read books, he always says that 'you can never have too much knowledge' and you should gather as much as possible." I always listened to what someone tells me, I didn't always follow through with it but I always listen.

"Why are you all ignoring me!" Hawk exclaimed, surprising us all slightly. We heard a bunch of screams coming from around us and looked around seeing few small creatures on the ground. I guess some of them had fallen over in surprise when Hawk shouted.

"Are you all alright?" I asked them concerned at my voice all but one of them hopped up and hid themselves away again.

"How rude" Hawk huffed, I ignored him as I walked slowly over to the remaining Prankster Imp trying not to frighten the already shaken up creature. When all the others had hidden away, this Prankster Imp had tried to get up but couldn't, I was worried.

"Are you alright?" I asked, the shivering creature on the floor while still attempting to get closer, I wanted to help but I couldn't do anything if I couldn't get close. I looked into the prankster imp's eyes so my concern could be seen, hoping that would calm the imp down enough to allow me to see.

"I-I-I-I'm f-f-f-f-fine!" the prankster imp told me, I smiled comfortingly and took another small step forward. The prankster Imp shuffled backwards and I paused, I guess I just wouldn't be able to get close right now. Staying still was the best option right now.

"Are you sure? You didn't hide like your friends did but it looked like you tried to, so i thought you might have been injured." I noted, if I was going to get close enough I had to let the Prankster Imp know I meant no harm. "I just want to help. I don't think I'd really be able to help but I want to try at least."

"... My… My leg…" My eyes widened, I wasn't expecting the clearly frightened creature to give in that easily but I was careful not to let the smile leave my face as I took another step forwards. Slowly I got closer to the Prankster Imp and slowly I reached out, the Prankster Imp stayed mostly still, the only movement made was the injured leg.

I gently took hold of the leg and looked over it. It looked like the cause of the pain was a large scrape, other than that I don't think there were any problems. I didn't know much in the medical department. I knew the basics at most. As someone who was supposed to able to heal, I had been told on multiple occasions that it wasn't necessary even Gilthunder, who felt it was the more knowledge the better had said it wasn't necessary. It made sense I suppose, why bother learning about the details of injuries and sickness when you could just heal them all through magic? In addition to that, I just couldn't get the thought out of my head... that if I couldn't heal through magic then I couldn't heal at all so I didn't see the point of reading too much into the medical department.

"It's just a scrape, you might be limping for awhile and you'll have to bandage it until it heals but it's nothing serious." I smiled, telling what I knew. Thank Goddess it wasn't anything serious, if it had been I wouldn't have been able to do anything.

"...Th-thank you." Shortly after that the other Prankster Imps began crawling out of there hiding spots , slowly and hesitantly. It wasn't long before Meliodas, Hawk and Mead had to move closer to me in order to give them some room.

They stared at us in silence and, not knowing what to do, we did the same.

"So…" Hawk spoke up, pausing before he could say much. Trying to think of something to say, I suppose. "You guys can transform, right? Let's see it."

The Prankster Imps looked at each other, murmuring before they collectively nodded their heads and transformed into Hawk.

"Impressive. Such an accurate representation. There's hardly any differences." Hawk commented, pushing his snot into the air and looking at the many 'Hawks' around him.

"...Do you see any differences?" I asked Meliodas, leaning over to him. I really couldn't find what Hawk was talking about, they all looked exactly like him to me.

"Not at all. They got him down to the last detail." Meliodas responded, looking over the 'pigs' presumably trying to find these differences Hawk was talking about.

"Hmph! You two just aren't looking hard enough!" Hawk squealed at us, I gave him an apologetic look but Meliodas didn't look like he cared. Even so, neither of us moved to look again.

"Sorry Hawk but I don't see any differences, besides it's incredibly unlikely that they got something wrong. Prankster Imps are creatures that can transform into anything so long as they have seen it before, they make sure that they are as accurate as possible." I told him, Prankster Imps made sure that whatever they transform into is as accurate as possible, they feel that the more accurate the transformation is the better. "Which usually means its one hundred percent accurate."

"You're likely only saying that because it's you, if they had transformed into me or Elizabeth or Mead, you wouldn't be saying such things." Meliodas put his hands behind his head and looked away from Hawk. I had to agree with this although our reasoning behind it might be different, I did agree that Hawk likely only thought there were differences because they were him and not someone else.

The Prankster Imps looked at each other before transforming into Meliodas, then me and then Mead. I wonder if they wanted to prove a point to Hawk, or maybe they misunderstood and thought Meliodas wanted them to transform into the rest of us, giving us a while to look before moving on.

"Excellent, they really got you three down. Perfect transformations." Hawk complimented after they had transformed back to their normal forms.

We all gave Hawk a look but nobody got the chance to stay anything, if in fact one of us was going to say something, as the Prankster Imps had transformed again. They took the form of a Giantess, I guess that must be Diane. So that's what she looks like, I do wonder where the real Diane is though, a little further in maybe.

The Prankster Imps grinned some of them shooting Hawk looks, most likely because of his earlier comments. Hawk squealed and ran to take cover behind Meliodas. "Elizabeth! They're not gonna hurt me right?!"

I opened my mouth about to answer when Meliodas spoke instead "They'll squash you like a bug." He told him, Hawk squealed even louder and curled up as well as he could, he was shaking like a leaf.

"Don't worry Hawk, they probably won't hurt you." I told him trying to ease his fears a little… I don't think I really helped all that much unfortunately as Hawk didn't move from where he was.

"Hey! What's going on over there?!" An unfamiliar voice exclaimed from somewhere in the forest, was that Diane? I guess so as in the next moment the Prankster Imps transformed back to normal seeming frightened by the voice and ran towards the source of the voice.

That's not what let me know that the voice really did belong to Diane, however, that would have been what they said as they ran off "We're sorry, Lady Diane!"

"Well then, let's go see Diane." Meliodas said after a small moment of silence with that he took off after the Prankster Imps and the rest of us followed after him.

* * *

"What was all that noise?! I was trying to sleep!" A Giantess yelled at the Prankster Imps around her, they all flinched as her purple eyes glared down at them. So that's the real Serpent's Sin of Envy, huh? I feel bad for waking her up, the only reason there was such a commotion in the first place was because we were here.

"Sorry for disturbing you." I apologised, Diane's eyes shot over to me, she was noticeably surprised by my voice, I guess she hadn't noticed we were here.

"Who are you?" Upon getting over her surprise, Diane's eyes narrowed once more and this time her glare was fixed on me. I stiffened, intimidated by her glare.

"I'm Elizabeth. We were the ones that were making all that noise. We're all very sorry, Lady Diane." I bowed, gesturing over to my companions. With my back to them I couldn't tell how they reacted at all but I did end up directing Diane's attention over to them.

It was then that Diane's eyes sparkled and she gave a happy gasp. "Captain!"

The next moment Diane grabbed hold of Meliodas and rubbed her cheek against him, squealing in her happiness.

"Put me down, Diane." Meliodas told her, he didn't look too impressed with what was going on at the moment. Diane's eyes opened and she moved her hands, that were holding Meliodas, away from her cheek and more in front of her.

"Awww but Captain, I missed you." Diane pouted, it was kind of hard to tell if she was genuinely hurt or if it was just an act. It was pretty clear that she was really fond of Meliodas and was really happy to see him. I wonder if Diane likes Meliodas in that way or if she's just really affectionate, it was kinda hard to tell at the moment.

"No way! This Giant is one of the Seven Deadly Sins!" Hawk yelled in surprise, he hadn't already known that? Did he not know that the Giantess that they had transformed into was Diane? If not, I guess he didn't know she was part of the Giant Clan.

"A pig… that talks?" Diane spoke up, I moved to look up at her and she had a confused expression on her face. I guess talking pigs aren't something you see that often, regardless Diane's eyes soon twinkled once more as she liked her lips. "You got this for me, Captain?!" Diane moved to pick up Hawk, using one of her hands to hold Meliodas instead of the two she had originally been using so she could pick up Hawk with the other.

"Ahhh, wait, Lady Diane!" I told her stepping in front of Hawk her hand stopped right in front of me and her eyes widened, surprised by either my sudden movement or sudden talking or perhaps she was surprised by both of them.

"Why should I?" She glared at me once more and I gulped in fear. I don't think Diane likes me all that much, she's been pretty hostile so far.

"Hawk works for me Diane. So you can't eat him… yet." Hawk shivered and broke out in a sweat upon hearing the end of Meliodas' sentence. Diane pouted at what she was told but moved her hand away. "Alright Diane, I came here today for two reasons. One is to ask you to rejoin the Seven Deadly Sins the other, we'll discuss later."

"Alrighty, Captain. In that case I, Diane, will rejoin the Seven Deadly Sins as the Serpent Sin of Envy!" Diane announced standing up at her full height and placing her fist on her chest.

"Great, we really need your help." Meliodas grinned at her, and Diane beamed, her cheeks flushing slightly. It's becoming more and more clear that Diane really does like Meliodas in that way.

"You need my help, Captain, really?!" Diane repeated excitedly, the smile on her face growing

"Yeah. Elizabeth told me that the Holy Knights had taken over the Kingdom, and she asked me if the Seven Deadly Sins could stop them." Meliodas explained, giving a brief explanation of what was going on. Diane's smile dropped looking over at me.

"And Elizabeth's been travelling with Meliodas and I for a couple of days now." Hawk told Diane, why did he feel the need to mention that? That information was true but it didn't really matter in the least.

"Oh? She's been travelling with the Captain alone?" Diane asked a bite to her tone, she was really upset now. I backed up slightly but other than that made no attempt to get away. I didn't think I was really in any danger so there was no reason for me to.

"No, I was-" Hawk tried to tell her but Diane ignored him and ended up cutting him of when she threw Meliodas. The force of it knocking over the bystanders to the attack and kicking up rocks and dirt into the air.

Diane yelled as she repeatedly punched the ground where Meliodas was. I hope he'll be alright after all this. Diane really likes him so I don't think she'd hit him with enough force to do serious damage but still, I was worried about him.

Guarding Mead from the falling rocks, we waited until Diane was finished or Meliodas put a stop to her onslaught of attacks.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Captain. I guess I overreacted." Diane was now knelt on the floor looking apologetic for her behaviour after Meliodas reiterated that Hawk was with us and I told her that Meliodas had likely only let me stay because I just wouldn't have been able to survive out there on my own, especially considering the Holy Knights were coming after me. Meliodas had been about to say something but he had never gotten it out as Diane had spoken up before he could.

"It's alright, no harm was done." Meliodas told her, which clearly wasn't true but it was nice of him to do that for her. I wonder if Meliodas likes Diane in that way, it certainly didn't seem like it at first but now I'm not so sure.

...I hope he doesn't.

"Huh?" Why did I think that? Why would it matter to me if Meliodas had a thing for Diane? It wasn't like it affected me in any way. So why…?

I was shocked out of my thoughts when a bolt of lightning struck, trapping Meliodas and Diane in a circle of blue lightning as the Prankster Imps scattered and allowing my brother to appear in front of us.

"Gil!" I exclaimed, a smile spreading on my face. I had found it a little odd that Gil had trapped Meliodas and Diane like that but maybe he just thought they were dangerous, there was no way my older brother would do something like that for any other reason. I was about to run over to him when I noticed Mead, his eyes were wide and he was shivering as he stared at Gilthunder.

"Mead, is something wrong?" I asked him, Mead seemed frightened of Gilthunder but why? I'm sure it was just because of his entrance, or maybe because he was a Holy Knight and Mead hasn't had the best experience with them if that was the case then being frightened of my brother would make sense.

"It was him… That's the guy who hurt our village." My eyes widened, that was why Mead was frightened by him but there's no way Gilthunder could have done something like that!

"Are you sure? Brother wouldn't…" I just couldn't believe it, there was no way it could be true! Gilthunder had been acting strange but Gilthunder was so caring, protecting Liones is important to him there's no way he would ever do something to bring harm to Liones or its people.

I looked up at him, and… I saw his face, he looked so… cold. I have never been so frightened by my own brother before and suddenly I wasn't so sure anymore, did Gilthunder really do it? If so, why? Why would he do something like that? That wasn't like my brother at all!

"Elizabeth, I see you're alright." Gilthunder stated, I relaxed a bit, Gilthunder's expression had softened slightly and he genuinely seemed glad that I was alright. Maybe I was just being silly after all. Perhaps Mead had just been mistaken, it seemed unlikely but still a possibility, there were Holy Knights that could create that sort of misunderstanding.

"Yes. I'm fine, thanks to Lord Meliodas and Hawk." Gilthunder looked over at Meliodas when I mentioned him, he didn't seem surprised in the slightest, did Gilthunder really trap them knowing full well who they were.

...I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Gilthunder loved the Seven Deadly Sins, I know he does but since they were viewed as criminals and had been chased from the Kingdom under accusations of killing our father, it would make sense why he would want to take a precaution as a just in case thing.

"Yo, Gil. It's been awhile." Gilthunder's expression didn't change at all at Meliodas' greeting. I thought Gilthunder would be happy to see the Seven Deadly Sins again, not only that but Meliodas was Gilthunder's trainer, at least that's what I was told by Howzer. I didn't remember much about the time before the Seven Deadly Sins were chased out of the Kingdom, apparently I had taken a pretty brutal blow to the head and my memories had been messed up because of it. I doubted that though, the memories lost seemed too… specific to have been caused by a blow to the head. "You used to follow us around all the time saying you wanted to be just like us."

"Yes but that was in the past. I am now stranger than any of the Seven Deadly Sins." Gilthunder walked over to Meliodas and leaned closer to him, I couldn't see his expression at all. "Elizabeth." Gilthunder turned to me, surprising me slightly. I wasn't expecting him to address me again so soon.

"Y-yes?"

"Take the kid and get out of here." He told me his voice was pretty monotonous but his eyes showed a variety of emotions, he was conflicted over something but what? And why did he want me to leave and take Mead with me? What was going on? "Elizabeth! Go!" Gilthunder didn't shout but it was… harder? Than before. He shot of an attack right next to Mead, who yelped, jumped and clutched onto me, tears were gathering in his eyes and the shivering had increased.

I didn't understand what was going on but Gilthunder really wanted me to leave, and Mead was so frightened it would be for the best that I did what I was told and got myself and Mead out of here. So I picked up Mead and ran into the trees next to us, I had no idea how to get out of this forest but I had to leave this particular area at least.

As I ran I heard someone following me, I looked back to see Hawk running after me. Why was he following me? I mean, the situation gave of an air of danger but Hawk seems to love being the hero so i didn't think he'd be so quick to run away. "Follow me, Elizabeth! I can get us out of here!" Ah, so that's why he was running too, so he could lead Mead and I out of the forest.

Hawk passed by me so he could show me the way out, but how does he know how to get out? "How will you do that, Hawk?"

"I never forget a smell, I'll get us out of here by following the smells found in Bernia!" He replied proudly, if he wasn't running right now he'd probably stick his snout in the air.

Since Hawk was sniffing our way out of here, it took a little while to get out of the forest but not as long as it would have took without Hawk so we saved time in the long run.

As soon as we exited I put Mead down, "You didn't have to carry me you know." Mead told me his cheeks puffing out, I smiled sheepishly, I suppose I didn't but Mead was latched to my legs and had yet to run himself so I kinda figured that picking him up would be most efficient. "... but thanks." Mead thanked me after a short pause, I smiled at him and we began to walk to the Boar Hat, which we had moved outside the forest, where Hawk and I stopped as Mead continued to walk back to Bernia Village, we waved goodbye to each other and I sat on the porch waiting for Meliodas and Diane to arrive.

I hope they'll be okay, Gilthunder too. Meliodas and Diane were the Seven Deadly Sins and it was two against one so it really seems like they have the advantage here but then again they're trapped so will they really be okay?

Maybe Gilthunder wasn't going to attack them, maybe he just sent me away to talk with them about something he felt I shouldn't be around for. Yeah that must be it! Gilthunder wouldn't hurt the Seven Deadly Sins he loves so much… right?

* * *

It wasn't long before the ground shook and loud footsteps were heard, I looked up and saw Diane walking towards us with Meliodas walking in front of her.

I stood up and smiled "Lord Meliodas, Lady Diane, I-" I trailed of and my smile dropped as I noticed the blood on Meliodas. "...Lord Meliodas, you're bleeding." I ran towards him and placed my hands on his chest.

"Oh… it's no big deal." He told me looking at the wound on his shoulder, it certainly didn't look that way to me.

"But there's so much blood!" I exclaimed looking at the blood seeping out of the wound on his shoulder. Did Gilthunder do this? Why? Why? Why? What happened to my brother?

"He… Hey, don't get so touchy with the Captain!" Diane yelled at me.

While Meliodas and Diane talked I stood a little ways away listening to their conversation. We had started moving again and Diane was walking at Hawk Mama's side with Meliodas sitting on her shoulder.

"The Fox's Sin Ban, was thrown into a dungeon… And the Grizzly's Sin King is with the Holy Knights… Diane, what do you think?" Meliodas said holding up two posters, presumably the posters for Ban and King.

"'With the Holy Knights'? I thought Gilthunder had said he was…" Diane seemed surprised, but what had Gilthunder said about King?

"That was a lie. King's alive… but he's working with the Holy Knights." Meliodas told her, Diane's breath hitched.

"...No way… Does that mean King's betrayed us?" Diane asked, her voice shook slightly, she sounded really hurt at the thought.

"It looks that way." Meliodas told her, Diane didn't say anything or make any noise but she did move her head away looking to the opposite side, I couldn't see how she felt about this exactly. "...Alright! I've decided! Let's go pick up Ban at Baste Dungeon first!" Meliodas jumped of her shoulder, onto Hawk Mama's back and Diane looked back over to him.

"...Alright!" Diane pumped her fist in the air after a short pause, seemingly back to normal, but that might have been just an act.

"Wait, even if that Holy Knight was telling the truth, isn't this like jumping right into the lion's den?" Hawk asked, he brought up a good point, Baste Dungeon would have Holy Knights around for sure. There's no way it would be safe for wanted criminals to go anywhere near it.

"Either way, someone's keeping track of our movements. Little Gil even went out of his way to find us in a forest that Holy Knights are supposed to avoid." Meliodas told him, he certainly seemed pretty unconcerned that they were going to break Ban out of a dungeon, that could be swarming with Holy Knights and while he was injured too.

"That's… true…" Hawk agreed, I don't think he was really sure if he actually agreed though. But even if Meliodas did have a point, I...

"You're so smart, Captain!" Diane complimented him as I took a step forward.

"I… I'm against… this!" I spoke up, Meliodas and Diane looked over at me questioning looks on their faces. "Instead of going to the dungeon, shouldn't we treat your wound first? If you fight the Holy Knights with a body like that…!" I protested, trying to convince Meliodas not to do it.

"Maybe I'll get better if I do this." Meliodas stated as he placed his head under the skirt of the dress I was wearing.

"R-Really?" I asked doubtful, looking down at him.

"That's a lie!" Hawk yelled at him.

"Elizabeth, don't worry. It's nothing." Meliodas told me standing up and patting my head, he was trying to comfort me even though he's injured, Meliodas is so nice with that thought I felt a warmth in my chest, a warmth I chose to ignore as Meliodas walked towards the entrance of the Boar Hat. "I'll be fine once I get some rest. Good night." With that Meliodas closed the door and the rest of us stood in silence for a little while after.

* * *

I walked up the stairs towards Meliodas room Diane had taken Meliodas' bag out of her own and had reluctantly given it to me to return it to Meliodas. Diane was going to return it to him herself but Hawk had pointed out he was probably sleeping, I guess Diane wouldn't be able to get to him if he wasn't awake, after Diane's face fell I offered to take it up to his room for her. She didn't seem to pleased with that offer but she winded up handing the bag over anyway, I'm not really sure why, since shortly after I had made the offer I realised that she could have just waited until he was awake and gave it to him then.

"Lord Meliodas." I said quietly as I knocked on the door, just in case he wasn't sleeping. When I didn't get an answer I opened the door thinking he was asleep.

"Lord… Meliodas…" Meliodas was lying face down on the floor clutching the hilt he carried with him in has hand. My eyes were wide and my body was shaking, Sir Meliodas was…

"Lord Meliodas!"


	5. A Promise to You

_**Spectrum of Passion Chapter 5: A Promise to You**_

 _ **Some edits have been made to the previous chapters, none of the edits really change anything but Elizabeth now uses Lord instead of Sir.**_

"He's got a really deep stab wound and a burn like he was struck by lightning. To be honest, it's a miracle that he's even alive… he won't regain consciousness for a while."

I sat staring at Meliodas, remembering the words of Dr. Dana, the doctor we had taken him to situated in a town near Baste Dungeon. Diane was sat outside, unable to get inside. I looked at her through the window, she was troubled too.

Of course she was, Meliodas was important to her and he was injured, he was bedridden.

I wish there was something I could do, I wish I could heal him but I can't. The most I could do was change his bandages and make sure he was comfortable. It was something but it wasn't enough, I wanted to do more. "Lord Meliodas… Please get better soon… I'm sorry that I let you do something so crazy..." I placed a wet towel on Meliodas' forehead while I apologised to him, helping in the only way I really could.

My attention was drawn to the window once more when I heard Diane stand up. "Lady Diane?" I questioned.

"I'm going ahead. I'll go to Baste Dungeon and get Ban." She announced and with that she began to walk away.

I hurriedly stood up from the chair I was in and rushed down the stairs and towards the door, Hawk following behind me. "Wait, Lady Diane!" I shouted, Diane stopped but made no move to turn towards me. "I'll come with you!"

"Oh please. You'll just be a hindrance." Diane told me, keeping her back turned. Her words and tone were so cold but… there was a ring of truth to them, in fact what she had said was completely accurate. "What do you think you can do with that tiny body and those skinny arms? You may be a main but all you can do is change captain's towels and act as his nurse."

"What's up with your attitude!? Not every girl in the world can be a powerful giant like you!" Hawk yelled at her, clearly mad. I tried to get him to stop, not wanting him to waste his breath on Diane when she was just telling the truth.

Diane finally turned around, or at least she turned her head slightly so she could throw a vicious glare at Hawk. Diane seemed really upset by that comment, did Hawk strike a nerve somewhere?

"I… want to somehow give Lord Meliodas strength… because I said I want to stop the Holy Knights." Because I couldn't do anything to stop them myself, because I couldn't recruit Camelot or another Kingdom to help, because I didn't have the courage to find the Holy Knights that hadn't been corrupted… I had to get Meliodas and the Seven Deadly Sins to help and because of that. "He's talking on more than he candle to find the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins and stop the Holy Knights…"

"Don't get it wrong! Captain isn't doing all this just because it's you!" Diane yelled, stomping on the ground. Sending Hawk and I up off the ground and coming down again. It was painful but it could have been much worse, I wasn't injured at least and Hawk seemed fine too.

"Captain… What he did for me… He's always been like that!" Diane said looking down at us, her fist shaking. She seemed less angry now and more… passionate, I suppose.

"Lady Diane...?" I asked, what did Meliodas do for her? Whatever it was, it seemed to mean a lot to her.

"It was back when I left the Giants' Clan and was travelling by myself.I got into some petty argument with some knights… They attacked me just because I was a Giant and when I defended myself, they acted as if they hadn't done anything wrong." Diane started her story, kneeling down on the ground once more with her head bowed.

"What a bunch of bastards." Hawk commented, I vocalised my agreement to that, frowning slightly at the behaviour of the knights Diane was telling us about. Diane looked up and smiled slightly before bowing her head once more.

"After that they told me no one would ever be interested in a monster like me." Diane's hands tightened in her lap slightly, clearly distraught by those words. They weren't true but they were nasty and they would leave an impact on someone, a negative one. Not only getting called a monster but saying no would ever be interested in her because she was from the Giant Clan, those words must have hurt a lot.

"...That's not true Lady Diane." I told her, hoping to make her feel a little better. I wasn't sure how much my words would help but there wasn't much else I could do for her.

"I know… but thanks." Diane thanked me, her voice sounding a little happier. "It was then that the Captain intervened he beat up the knights and told them of for ganging up on a single girl. After they ran off… he asked me if I was scared." I could practically hear the smile in her voice as she spoke, I gave a smile of my own as Diane's tale grew happier. "It was the first time in my life that someone asked me if I was scared and it was to a girl much bigger than he was. I still remember it clearly even now. I felt like I became the same height as the boy in front of me."

Diane's head lifted and she gave us a wide smile. In the next moment she stood up once more and turned her back to us once more. I stood up too as Diane began to speak once more. "Of course I know already that those were just feelings. I'm not small and cute like you, little maid... " I was about to protest to her words before she continued talking, not allowing me to get a word in. "I can't go into houses, so I can't take care of the Captain either… The only thing I can do… is fight for my captain… that's it."

I see. Diane was like me, she wanted to do something she couldn't but at the same time what Diane wished for was very different. "I… want the strength to fight the Holy Knights… The strength to protect the people dear to me… If I could have that, then I wouldn't be such a burden to you or to Lord Meliodas." I told her, since I already knew what Diane wanted I felt like it was only right she knew what I wanted. I ended up revealing a little more than I had originally planned but once my mouth had opened I just couldn't stop the words.

"I want… to be small…" Diane told me, her voice full of longing and sadness. Longing for what she didn't have and sadness for what she would probably never have.

"Lady Diane…" I really felt for her, I knew what that felt like. I, myself, have experienced that feeling… it was so painful.

"I'm leaving the captain to you…!" Diane told me as she began to walk away once more.

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. Hawk asked me something but I didn't quite catch it. "Huh?" I asked looking at… the clouds? I could see outside the village.

"Rain clouds? Is it Gilthunder again?" Hawk asked, I certainly hoped not. I… just couldn't deal with seeing him, right now, not after…

Narrowing my eyes I tried to identify the cloud like thing, whether through sight or through some other sense. I nervously bit my lip as the clouds grow closer. The closer the clouds grew the more it became clear that whatever was drawing ever closer was not a bunch of clouds, whether that was a good or a bad thing I did not know. It was making an odd sound for one and it certainly didn't look like it held the proper components for a cloud, honestly I don't know how I came to the conclusion of a cloud in the first place.

"No… this is the sound of beating wings." Diane mentioned, it really did sound like wings. Then was that a massive group of bugs?

"This…"

"It can't be…?"

"Bu… Bugs...?

"Not just any bugs… they're all poisonous!" Hawk exclaimed, as the bugs grew ever closer. I recognised those bugs, I wasn't sure what they were called exactly but they were pretty dangerous.

As the bugs reached the town, screams erupted from the townspeople as they ran away from them. A smart choice considering what they were. The best thing for them was to find cover, the bugs released a substance that was corrosive but generally not corrosive enough to get through most of the structures in the village as for their poison… well you'd be fine so long as they don't get a hold of you.

"They're coming from Baste Dungeon, right? Then this must be an attack from the Holy Knights! Diane, we're counting on you!" Hawk told Diane, as the bugs drew closer to her. I moved to the side as some of the corrosive substance landed next to me.

"Kyaaaaah! I hate bugs!" Diane screamed, well that was a setback. I suppose there were other ways to get rid of them but without Diane it'd probably take a lot longer.

Ducking undercover with Hawk as the bugs grew closer, I had no choice but to wait and hope everyone got somewhere safe before the bugs got them. There were a lot of bugs and thinking about it, without Diane getting rid of all of them would be pretty much impossible.

Where I was wasn't the best place, the bugs could still get to me here but it would be riskier to run for a house where I was now. Meliodas would be safe at least, he was in a house so the bugs wouldn't be able to get to him unless…

"The window!" The window was open! The bugs could get into the house! Worse, they'd be in the room Meliodas was sleeping in.

They may have been able to get to me just as easily as they could Meliodas but at least I was conscious and had the opportunity to defend myself.

Pushing myself up I ran out of my cover and headed for Dr. Dana's place. Fortunately, it wasn't very far.

"Elizabeth, no! It's dangerous!" Hawk yelled after me, I heard the sound of his hooves behind me as I continued to run.

"Hawk, I'm going to help Lord Meliodas." I told him without looking back, I just ran straight for Dr. Dana's house.

"I hate bugs, but… If it's for the Captain this is nothing!" I heard Diane yell, in the next moment spikes shot out of the ground completely annihilating the bugs. I fell to the ground in surprise when one ended up shooting up inches away from me. "I will stomp every pest!"

"Are you alright, Elizabeth?" Hawk asked, concerned. I nodded in response, picking myself up off the ground and looked up at Diane, with the bugs gone Meliodas was no longer in any immediate danger so I was no longer in a hurry.

Diane leaped up in the air and shortly after a tremor ran through the ground, I almost fell over again, for the third time, thanks to that but I managed to catch myself. "I'll leave the Captain to you!" Diane told me from wherever she had landed, probably just outside the town. She had mentioned that earlier but I understand why she would say it again, she really loved Meliodas so of course she'd want to make sure I'd take care of him.

* * *

"I'll definitely protect Lord Meliodas." I spoke, despite the determination in my words and my desire to do so, I wasn't sure I could really do that. I wanted to, so badly, but there is a difference between wanting to do something and actually being able to do it. Even so, I have to at least try! I'll do everything I can to protect him.

"He hasn't moved at all. It's like he's dead." Hawk commented, his front hoofs placed on the bed so he could properly see Meliodas.

"Please don't say such horrifying things!" I flinched at the comment, not wanting to think about such a thing. Meliodas wasn't dead and he wouldn't end up dying either. Dr. Dana had said so but that doesn't change the fact that he could have. My brother could have killed him and if my brother, who loved the Seven Deadly Sins, was willing to do it than the other Holy Knights, most of which hated the Seven Deadly Sins, would too. Granted, they'd need more than that to kill Meliodas or any of the Seven Deadly Sins for that matter but I'm sure there are some that could succeed.

Perhaps I shouldn't have asked the Seven Deadly Sins for help, they had enough problems with the Holy Knights without this situation making everything worse and while they may be powerful, they're just seven people. Seven people going up against every Holy Knight in Liones and that was assuming we actually got all seven of them. Could they really do it…?

"Of course." Hawk and I jumped, not expecting the voice, we hadn't known Dr. Dana had come back.

"What… do you mean?" I asked him slowly, he couldn't have meant Meliodas was dead, right? Because he wasn't, Meliodas was still alive, I was sure of it! So, Dr. Dana couldn't have possibly meant…

"Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Dana. You did well holding up your end of the deal." An unrecognizable voice told the rather distraught looking doctor. The voice came from nowhere, as far as I could tell there was no one else in the room, so where did that voice come from?

"What… What's going on?" Hawk asked, I had my back to him so I couldn't see him but I'm sure he was looking around for the voice.

"Who… Who are you?" I too looked around for the voice, I knew I wouldn't see anything but…

"Wolfsbane, Belladonna, Tiger Beetle, Henbane Leaf… It's a specially mixed deadly poison. This young man will never open his eyes again." Dr. Dana told us, my eyes widened in horror and I looked over at Meliodas again. I was sure he wasn't dead… was I… wrong…?

"Deadly poison…!? It wasn't medicine for healing his wounds?!" I yelled grabbing onto Dr. Dana's shoulders. I didn't know much about poisons or how they were made, so I didn't know what poison he was referring to. I did know some poisons only affected certain clans though, there was a poison that only affected Giants for example. I hope he used a poison that only affected humans, that way Meliodas would be fine. He was very obviously not human after all.

Buteven if the poison he used didn't affect Meliodas, it didn't change the fact that he intended to kill him.

"Even we wouldn't come out unscathed if we took out the Seven Deadly Sins head-to-head. Besides for the kingdom to accomplish its 'goals,' we have to take significant measures." The voice spoke up again, Hawk commented on it and started sniffing around. No doubt trying to find the source of the voice by their smell.

"Who's there…? Show yourself!" I demanded, I didn't expect the voice to actually listen but I figured it was worth a shot. If Hawk couldn't locate the source by the smell then the only other way I could think of was getting the source to show themselves.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Holy Knight Golgius of the Weird Fangs." The voice came from right next to me but I was facing away so I turned my body to properly see a tall armour clad Holy Knight holding his hand to his chest. He actually showed himself, that was a surprise but it certainly helps.

"Where did he come from?!" Hawk screamed, I was curious too. He wasn't here before… or was he? Thinking about it he would, at the very least, have had to have been somewhere nearby in order for us to hear him. Unless he has a power or some kind of magical item that would have allowed us to hear him from anywhere, which was also possible, I suppose.

"Elizabeth, daughter of former Great Holy Knight, Zaratras. I'm here to take you home." Golgius told me bowing down to me, something that surprised me, considering there was nothing stating the Holy Knight had to bow to me. "Well for you and...:" he trailed of walking past me, he pulled the covers of Meliodas and Hawk who had been trying to stop him fram taking me home went completely ignored.

Golgius pushed me of him and grabbed the broken sword Meliodas held in his hand. "Deadly Sin, Meliodas… This is worthless while in your hands. I'll be taking this." Golgius commented pulling up on the broken sword to pry it away from Meliodas' hand.

"Stop it! What are you doing to Lord Meliodas?!" I yelled at him trying to pull his arm away. He was a lot stronger than me though so it didn't really do anything.

"I see. So it's this sword…" Almost as soon as that line had left the Holy Knight's mouth and the sword had left Meliodas' grip, Meliodas shot up and grabbed the sword now standing up on the floor. "Huh...?!"

"Im… Impossible! He can't possibly be alive let alone conscious after taking that poison!" Dr. Dana seemed surprised to, I think we all were. I was certainly hoping the poison hadn't killed Meliodas but he hadn't shown any signs of waking up anytime soon, I had thought he'd be unconscious for a while.

"You just won't die… Let go of that sword!" Golgius told him, trying to get the sword back out of Meliodas' grip.

"I won't go of this sword, even if I die. This is the one and only thing I can do to atone for my sins!" Meliodas raised his head and stared at Golgius, much to mine, Hawk's and Golgius' surprise his eyes were pitch black and he had a swirling symbol on his forehead, which was also black.

The pressure in the room skyrocketed, it felt like a really strong wind emanating from Meliodas. "Impossible… How can he move after drinking the deadly poison?!" Dr. Dana questioned, I barely heard it over the noise created by the wind like sensation in the room.

"Lord Meliodas!" I yelled concerned, was he okay? This hadn't happened before and he had intaken some pretty powerful poison. It clearly hadn't killed him but that didn't mean it hadn't affected him at all.

"What's with his eyes and that mark on his forehead!?" Hawk questioned, I thought back to the rumors and my eyes widened, so that rumor was true. Meliodas was a demon. Or maybe not… It might still be too early to make a judgement.

"Ehehehe… It doesn't matter what nonsense you spew out! I'm taking this sword and the princess…!" Golgius told him, apparently having gotten over his fear and stupidly said something he shouldn't have. Meliodas was clearly angry right now, Golgius shouldn't have said anything.

Meliodas released a deep growl and I think I saw his black eyes narrow slightly, Golgius shivered and in the next moment there was a shattering sound as Golgius had jumped out the window.

"He ran away."

"Lord Meliodas…" Meliodas was acting strange. I'd never seen him act like this before. I wasn't sure how to react.

"Yo Elizabeth." He turned to face me completely with a smile on his face. The mark was gone and his eyes were back to their green colour. He certainly seemed to have gone back to the behaviour I was used to. Both in appearance and personality. "Hey, where are we?" He asked looking around and scratching his back.

"This is Dalmary Town, it's near Baste Dungeon. We came here to treat your wounds..." I told him, thinking back to how he had gotten those wounds in the first place. Gilthunder… My brother.

"Hm… And who was that weird guy just now?" Meliodas asked looking out the window that Golgius had jumped out of.

"Some Holy Knight named Golgius or something. It looked like he was after Elizabeth and your broken sword. " Hawk told him, Meliodas looked down at him an unreadable expression on his face. I'm getting the feeling that's gonna happen a lot. "And it turns out that the shitty doctor over there was on his side… what?"

Hawk looked over to where Dr. Dana was standing and both Meliodas and I followed his example. Dr. Dana was gone, I suppose it made sense he had tried to poison Meliodas it would be a bad idea to stay here. "He ran away! Let's go after him!"

"Wait…!" I grabbed hold of his ear to stop him, we had to make sure Meliodas was really all right. He was still injured and what if that poison had done something to him? "Lord Meliodas' wounds aren't healed yet!" Hawk squealed in pain and I felt kinda bad, I hadn't meant to hurt him I was about to apologise to him when I got distracted by Meliodas unwrapping his bandages.

"Huh? It's already healed." Meliodas stated, despite his wording he did not sound all that surprised but I'm sure Meliodas has seen much stranger things happen besides I know healing magic was possible. How had it happened though? I hadn't done it, I couldn't use the healing powers I should have.

"Wh… What? No way!" I exclaimed in my surprise; I couldn't do that, I knew Hawk couldn't do that, I'd imagine if Meliodas could do that he would have done so already so how…? How had this happened?! I was happy but… beyond confused.

"What's gotten into you? You're so assertive today! Touch me some more!" Meliodas told me, grinning and moving my hand to his chest.

"What? No… It's… not like that…!" I told him, my face heating up. I placed my hand on my burning cheek and turned away from him. I mean, I wasn't opposed to the idea, his chest felt nice. No! Now's not the time for this!

"Alright, let's hurry and chase after them!" Hawk exclaimed, Meliodas let go of my hand and, somewhat reluctantly, I moved it. I hope he didn't notice that.

"Yes!" I agreed as Meliodas grabbed his clothes and put them over his shoulder.

* * *

"There he is." Meliodas commented, Golgius froze and looked over his shoulder. I'm surprised we found him so easily, I felt for sure he wouldn't have stuck around in Dalmary. He had plenty of time to leave so why didn't he? I guess he was trying to stop Meliodas from attacking by putting us so close to so many civilians but Meliodas was viewed as a cold-hearted criminal by most, there would be no reason for Golgius to believe he wouldn't attack regardless of who could get hurt in the crossfire. So why?

"Oh! I was found quickly?" He said, questioningly. Was it really that surprising? He sticks out like a sore thumb.

"Don't make light of my nose that can smell leftovers from a mile away!" Hawk exclaimed,he went pretty much ignored.

"Tell us who ordered you to take Elizabeth and my sword." Meliodas told Golgius, from there his voice dropped to a more threatening tone "Or else I'll make you tell me…"

"Fine, it was the girl's brother." Golgius answered, pointing over at me. I frowned, I doubted that, Gilthunder hadn't said anything about taking me back to the capital.

"Not likely. We just saw him and he didn't once mention anything about taking my sword or Elizabeth back to the capital. He didn't even try to take my sword while I was down." Meliodas didn't believe his words either. "Now try again and tell the truth this time." The bite to his words was back, Meliodas was making it very clear that Golgius should do as he said or face the consequences.

"Okay! I surrender! I, Golgius, am of a cowardly nature and dislike fighting to begin with… especially against someone like the Captain of the Legendary Seven Deadly Sins." Golgius threw his arms up in the air in the surrender position and shortly after Meliodas was knocking away weapons with his sword.

"What?" Hawk and I asked in unison looking back at the weapons that had landed behind us.

"Those were assassination weapons that I threw at the moment I raised my hands… You must have good eyesight to have noticed them." Golgius commented, it was kind of hard to tell with all that armour but I think his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Don't make light of my eyes that can spot exposed panties from a mile away." Meliodas told him bluntly, completely unfazed by what had happened.

"Can… you really do that?" Normally that would sound impossible but with Meliodas… I wasn't so sure about that.

"That's a lie." he replied equally as bluntly as he had before.

"Lo-Lord Golgius there you are! I wasn't able to kill the young man but I gave him the poison like you told me to!" Dr. Dana's voice rang through the air and we all turned to look in the direction that it had come from. "Please, return my daughter like you promised!" Dr. Dana sounded so desperate, so worried. So that's why he poisoned Meliodas, to save his daughter.

"He disappeared?!" Meliodas sounded rather alarmed when he had said that so Hawk and I turned back to look at him. Golgius was gone.

"Wh- where did he go?" Hawk asked as we all tried to locate him, none of us really had much look.

"Elizabeth, don't leave my side!" Meliodas told me, I agreed. My hands were placed on his shoulders and I moved closer to him.

"Don't raise your voice. I will return your daughter to you…" Golgius' voice came from where Dr. Dana was standing, quite a distance away from any of us. If Dr. Dana said anything in return I didn't hear it, too far away I guess.

"Hey! Get away from there!" Meliodas warned him, Dr. Dana turned to look at him and that's when… Golgius stabbed him from behind. Blood went everywhere, I covered my mouth with my hands in my horror. I had seen it happen, heard of it happening several times before but…

"In the next world, where she will join you shortly."

"He's really done it!" Dr. Dana slumped to the floor, his blood creating a puddle around him.

"It would be bad if word got out that the Holy Knights are going around ordering people to poison kids." Golgius stated, looking down at Dr. Dana's body.

I ran over to Dr. Dana, I'm not sure what my plan was, considering I didn't have the medical knowledge to take care of a wound like that and I didn't have the power to heal him magically either. But, at that moment, none of that crossed my mind. I just had to help him. I ignored Meliodas' and Hawk's cries of protest as I ran over to him and knelt by his side.

"Dr. Dana pull yourself together!" I told him, holding my hand out above him trying to make my magic work. Of course it didn't, it never did but I had to keep trying. There was no else here and as much as I couldn't heal him magically, I couldn't heal him without the use of magic even more.

"Elizabeth, it's dangerous here!" Hawk told me, I could hear the sounds of him sniffing so I guess he was trying to find Golgius through his scent again.

"We don't know where he'll appear next!" Meliodas tacked on, I turned around at his words. He was standing behind me. Clearly readying himself to defend if need be.

"But… we can't just leave him to die." I protested, tears in my eyes. I didn't want to leave him here. The fact that it was dangerous here only reinforced that.

"Here…" I turned around to see Golgius appear behind me. Some strange sword raised. "We go!" Meliodas blocked the attack and pushed Golgius back, he moved to punch him but before he could land a hit, Golgius vanished again.

"What… What should we do? He disappeared again?!" Hawk asked running around Meliodas as I stood up again, placing my hands on Meliodas' shoulders once more. "Is this teleportation?"

"Ehehe… you're a smart pig. Yes… before my teleportation all your powers are useless…" Meliodas blocked a couple more attacks from the teleporting Golgius before he grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

"We're running!" From then on, rather than blocking the attacks Meliodas dodged them, pulling me with him to make sure I wouldn't be hit either. If it wasn't for the dire situation, I would probably find this kinda fun.

"Shit! I can trace his metallic smell but… If we're too busy running, there's nothing we can do!" Hawk shouted as we ran, him running beside Meliodas and I.

"No matter where you run or hide, I will find and corner you." Golgius told us, it was hard to tell exactly where he was from his voice but I figured Meliodas had enough of an idea to avoid Golgius as much as possible.

Suddenly Meliodas pulled me to the side and ran into a building. "Over here!"

"Meliodas, why are we running into an abandoned building?" Hawk asked him as we walked up the stairs. I was breathing heavily, Meliodas had been doing most of the work but I did feel the need to at least relatively keep up with him as he pulled me away from Golgius and my lack of breath wasn't exactly being helped by the situation we were in.

"Hawk, were you planning on getting the townspeople involved with this?" Meliodas asked as a response.

"Well… no but…"

* * *

"Let's wait in here until he's gone." Meliodas said walking around the room we had entered, I was sat on the floor leaning against the wall furthest from the door.

"But, man, what a rundown building… It's so moldy in here." Hawk commented looking around the building. He wasn't wrong the floor was broken in places and, as he had said, it was so moldy. It was covered in dust too even the doors were in bad shape, the one we had worked through in order to get into the building was barely attached to the frame anymore. "What are you doing?" Hawk asked Meliodas, who seemed to be doing something to the floor just in front of the door to the room.

"Huh? It's a magic spell that will prevent him from coming in here." Meliodas told him, waving his finger and smiling down at him.

"Magic my ass. There's no way that'll do anything." Hawk seemed doubtful but I wasn't so sure, there were various kinds of magic spells, magic items and powers out there, a few at least should be able to do something like keep someone out. "But that clown bastard… even though he came to kidnap Elizabeth, it looked like he was really trying to kill her!"

"It's because he knew I'd protect Elizabeth no matter what. He was forcing me to protect her and waited for an opening." I winced slightly at those words, seeing a small injury on his arm immediately after that didn't help the negative things I was feeling.

"Lord Meliodas, your arm's injured!" I exclaimed. Meliodas had gotten hurt again because he was protecting me, if he hadn't been so focused on making sure I didn't get hurt he probably would have gotten away or defeated Golgius unharmed.

"This hurts less than a fart." Meliodas told me, giving me a smile.

"But are you sure about this? We're on the top floor of a narrow abandoned building… there's no chance of escape! At least close the door!" Hawk told Meliodas, surveying the room we were in once more. He had a point, there's no way we could escape from here.

"Doors won't do anything against teleportation. He might appear right in the middle." Meliodas replied pointing to the middle of the small circle the three of us had made.

"Ehehe! Too bad, it's behind you." Golgius said as he appeared behind Meliodas.

"Nishishi… too bad, it's below you." Meliodas told him, chuckling and facing him with a large grin on his face. The next moment the floor collapsed and Golgius fell.

"Don't tell me that magic earlier was…" I trailed of as I looked down the hole that had been created in the floor.

"Man… He went all the way down the building." Hawk also looked down the while, I wondered if he could see anything down there, I sure couldn't.

"Stay here alright? This won't take long." Meliodas told the both of us before jumping down the hole after the Holy Knight that had fallen.

I couldn't see anything down there, I couldn't hear much either but I did hear a large crash soon after Meliodas had jumped down there. I know Meliodas told me to stay but… I ran out of the room and made my way out the building.

"Lord Meliodas!" I yelled as I made it out the building, Meliodas was standing a few feet away in front of Golgius who was slumped against a wall.

"For a second, I was wondering what was going to happen!" Hawk commented, almost as soon as he said that Golgius disappeared again. I ended up making a small noise and so Meliodas turned back to face where Golgius had been, having turned to look at me when I called out to him.

"... Man he got away. What a tough guy…" Hawk commented, a sound alerted us to another event and Hawk made a small scream of surprise, just before a horse ran past us. "Oh… it's just a horse. It must've been frightened by the loud noise! What a jittery animal!"

"There, huh?" Meliodas looked after the horse and his words unintentionally encouraged me to do the same.

"What?" Hawk asked him confused by his words. "Oh!" Hawk had turned to look at the horse just in time to see Golgius appear on its back.

"The horse must be headed to Baste Dungeon." Meliodas commented, continuing to look in the direction the horse had gone.

"Alright! Let's go then!" Hawk exclaimed, I didn't want to yet. I wanted to check on Dr. Dana, who had ended up being left behind after all.

* * *

I sat with Dr. Dana's head on my lap, his eyes were open slightly and he was still breathing. I was slightly surprised to find he was still alive. Surprised but relieved.

"Dr. Dana…! Pull yourself together…! Why did this…?" I said, I didn't bother to try to heal him this time. I couldn't do it, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't do it. I guess I'll just have to try and make sure he holds on long enough for someone else to save him.

"Why… are you... crying for me...?" Dr. Dana asked, he struggled to get the words out through the pain he likely felt. I hadn't even noticed I was crying, a rarity for me. "I'm… sorry… I just wanted… to get my daughter back…"

"And for that, I… even if it was an order… tried to kill a young boy who had nothing to do with this… In the end… I couldn't rescue... my daughter… I reap… what I sow…" As he spoke Dr. Dana's voice lost more and more life and "Cenette" with that, he died.

"... It's my fault."

"What are you talking about? Golgius killed the doctor." Meliodas asked, I hadn't noticed he was here. I thought he had gone ahead to Baste Dungeon but I guess not.

"If we hadn't come to this town, Dr. Dana wouldn't have had to die or have his daughter taken hostage by the Holy Knight right?" Besides, I couldn't even help him as he lay injured after Golgius had stabbed him and I'm supposed to be a druid. I knew I couldn't heal and I always hated that about myself but…that fact hasn't hit this hard in a long time.

"Elizabeth, don't blame yourself…" Hawk told me, no doubt trying to make me feel better. I shook my head as the tears that had stopped started flowing once more.

"From the very beginning… If I… hadn't found Lord Meliodas while I was searching for the Seven Deadly Sins… Lord Meliodas wouldn't have gotten such a serious injury from my brother or nearly gotten killed by Golgius' scheme..."

"That's true. I wouldn't have had to nearly become skewered or roasted pig!" Hawk agreed, I see he gets it now. Hawk squealed in pain soon after, I guess Meliodas had hit him for agreeing with me.

"I understand why this would make you want to cry but… Is your desire to protect Liones and its people from the Holy Knights so weak that it can be broken by just a tear or two?" I opened my previously shut tight eyes and looked over at him. "I've resolved to find the Seven Deadly Sins with Elizabeth and stop the holy Knights… Even if you were to die… I would fulfil the promise I made with you… I would fulfil the promise I made with you." Meliodas leaned close to me, we were inches apart as he spoke to me.

"Lord… Meliodas…"

"All people… eventually die…" He moved back and averted his eyes from me as he continued speaking. "But… as long as someone protects what that person stood for, their principles will never die. Once you've resolved to take on those principles, no matter how much blood, sweat and tears you shed, you follow through with it!" Meliodas held so much emotion in his voice, that it was clear he was speaking from the heart.

"That's what a knight is."

* * *

We had taken Dr. Dana back to his home, and for the longest time I didn't move, Meliodas and Hawk had gone ahead and I simply waited.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to find Meliodas' bag and scabbard. So I could give it to him when I caught up to them. There was no telling how far they had gotten so I sprinted to hopefully catch up to them.

Thankfully, I eventually saw them crossing a bridge. "Lord Meliodaaaas!" I screamed to catch his attention, not really all that necessary since they had stopped anyway so they could fight.

I ran the rest of the way over to him and stopped when I got close enough, I placed my hands on my knees so I could catch my breath as Meliodas let go of Hawk and completely turned to face me. "What is it? You're out of breath."

"Here." I held his bag and scabbard out to him and straightened myself out. "While you were sleeping… I fixed it for you. It's not very good but…" I smiled at him, I wasn't all that great with fixing things but I was sure that it would at least hold.

"...What a good girl." Hawk commented.

"Thanks Elizabeth." Meliodas thanked me taking his things out of my hand and putting them back on.

"Alright, let's go!" I walked past them and continued on the way they had been going, towards Baste Dungeon to save the Fox's Sin of Greed, Ban. "I'm not a knight… but I will keep on fighting for the people of the kingdom. Even if you were to die right now."

"...Don't kill me now." Meliodas responded despite what he something in his tone sounded somewhat happy.

That didn't really change what he said though. "S… sorry!" I apologised somewhat flustered.

"Elizabeth! What if I died? What if I died?" Hawk asked me as we continued walking.

"Uh… um… I'll do my best?" I replied uncertainly, I hadn't been expecting Hawk to ask something like that.

"Elizabeth, the difference in your attitude is too cruel!" Hawk yelled at me, upset by what I had said.

"So-sorry, Hawk!" I yelled my apology, feeling bad for upsetting him. He was my friend after all, I should have at least sounded more certain of myself for him.

"Don't worry Hawk. Even if you were to die… I wouldn't let your meat go to waste." Meliodas pat Hawk on the head. There was certainly quite a difference between what he was doing and what he had said. "Right Elizabeth?"

"Right!"

"Is that how you think of me?!"


	6. Resolution and Shooting Stars

_**Spectrum of Passion Chapter 6: Resolution and Shooting Stars**_

 _ **Review Response**_

 **EJR HorseLady: Thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't noticed. It's fixed now.**

 **dbzgtfan2004: I'm glad you think it sounds good, of course I'll continue. Also Melizabeth is my favourite pairing in NNT so I agree.**

 **Vi- Violence: Thank you!**

"An enemy attack?!" Hawk exclaimed as Meliodas moved in front of me holding his arm out and gripping the hilt of his broken sword with his other hand. The ground had shaken and some rocks and dirt had flown into the air. "...What?"

Diane was stood in front of us but she seemed… off. Her eyes looked empty, is she okay? "Lady Diane...?"

"What are you doing here?" Meliodas smiled up at her. I guess Hawk and I forgot to tell him that Diane had gone ahead to Baste Dungeon.

"...Captain?" Diane asked, even her voice sounded off. I wonder what's wrong with Diane. "Captain?! You're supposed to be resting! Captain, what are you doing?!"

"Enough about me, are you alright?" Meliodas asked her, I guess he noticed it too. How odd Diane was acting.

"Alright? Me?"

"After you crushed all the bugs in Dalmary, you went charging towards Baste Dungeon, didn't you?" Hawk asked her, I'm not sure what that has to do with Diane not being okay. Maybe Hawk's trying to ask if she got hurt?

"Huh? ...Did I really?" Diane both looked and sounded confused. Her head was tilted slightly and one of her fingers rested just below her lips. Diane, she doesn't remember heading towards Baste Dungeon at all.

"Lady Diane…?" What was wrong? Maybe Diane really did get hurt or maybe she's under some kind of spell.

"Is she really okay?" Hawk sounded concerned too and by the looks of the frown on Meliodas' face so was he.

"Looks like there's a real troublesome enemy." Meliodas commented placing his hand on his chin. So Meliodas thinks this was the work of an enemy, it makes sense, I certainly can't think of anything else that could have caused this. Well I could but any other options were unlikely.

"Do you remember why you were going to Baste Dungeon?" Hawk asked her, Diane pulled her hair in front of her mouth and frowned as she thought.

"I was… going to rescue Ban?" Diane sounded unsure but she got the right answer so I guess that's a good sign.

"That's right! Let's all go rescue Lord Ban together!" I exclaimed, I wasn't sure why but Diane hadn't rescued Ban. I didn't know what he looked like but the only people here were Meliodas, Diane, Hawk and I so Ban wasn't here. Which meant he was still in Baste Dungeon, right? So we will all go rescue Lord Ban and even if it's just me… Dr. Dana's daughter will also be rescued.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Ban. He'll probably break himself out when he hears about us." Meliodas shook his head, I turned to face him properly and he gave me a grin. "We'll rescue Cennete, that's her name right? We have to rescue Dr. Dana's daughter, right?"

"Lord Meliodas!" A large smile crossed my face once he said that. Meliodas was going to rescue Cenette, Dr. Dana couldn't be saved but at least we'd be able to get Cenette to safety. I'm sure that's what Dr. Dana would have wanted, for his daughter to be safe.

"...A holy knight…" Diane's words confused us, Meliodas, Hawk and I looked around for a Holy Knight when we heard her mention one but… we couldn't see one. The next moment Diane yelled and took a swing at Meliodas, he moved out of the way and her hand kicked up dirt and dust when it hit the ground.

"Diane what are you doing?!" Hawk yelled as Diane continued trying to hit Meliodas.

"What did you do to the Captain and Elizabeth?!" Diane yelled, that was odd. She was trying to attack her Captain and I was right here. She knew that, she had been talking to us directly seconds ago.

"Lady Diane, we're right here!" I yelled hoping to snap her out of… whatever was causing this. Diane didn't seem to hear me as she didn't look towards me at all or give any other indication that she had heard my words, she just continued to attack Meliodas.

Meliodas dodged her next attack and ran towards Hawk and I, he picked me up and began running away from Diane who was continuing to try and attack him, Hawk followed after us as Meliodas ran.

While running I saw two people that looked to be farmers over Meliodas' shoulder. Father and son I guess? The again they didn't look that alike maybe it was uncle and nephew? "Hey! It's not safe here!" Meliodas warned, they looked towards us and their eyes widened. I looked forward instead of backward over Meliodas' shoulder and saw Diane's attacks land inches from us.

The two turned and ran in the opposite direction from the Giantess, eventually the five of us reached a place where we could hide for a minute. Diane wouldn't take long to find us though, she wasn't that far away and she was a Giant. She could see a lot from up there.

"I'm going to distract Diane. Take the bystanders and run." Meliodas instructed me handing the child he had picked up as we ran so the young farmer wouldn't fall behind and left in Diane's way. I nodded and held up the young farmer, who had trouble standing thanks to what had happened.

"Are you alright?" I asked him, he nodded his head and stepped away from me stumbling a little but managing to stand up on his own.

"I'm fine. A little shaken up I guess." He told me, he was certainly brave. I couldn't think of many people his age taking something like this so well, in fact I couldn't think of many people that would take this so well at all.

"Who are you?!" Meliodas sounded alarmed so I looked up to see who he was talking to, only to see… Diane? He knows who Diane is, why is he…? "Hey, Giant… You're the one who did something weird to Diane, aren't you?"

"Lord Meliodas?" He was talking to Diane right now, what was he talking about? Did whatever happened to Diane happen to him too?

"Return Diane to the way she was before!" Meliodas jumped up and presumably hit Diane, I couldn't see the actual hit but I sure could hear the impact.

"We have to get out of here! If two sins seriously fight each other like this, there's no way we'll make it out alive!" HAwk shouted urging us all to move so we did, we all got up and ran. I pulled the child along with me, making sure he kept up with the rest of us. "But what should we do, Elizabeth?"

"Wha… what can we do...?" I asked briefly looking behind me at him. "If this keeps going… they will… what am I supposed to do?!" I asked myself out loud as we continued to run. Once we deemed ourselves far away enough we stopped to watch Meliodas and Diane fight, we had to stop them.

We watched as they exchanged blows, calling each other Holy Knights as they did. "Do they both think that the other one is a Holy Knight?"

"Both of you stop it!" I yelled, I didn't think that would actually work but it wasn't like any of us had any other ideas.

"Huh...? Elizabeth...? Pork…?" Diane asked, looking over at us. Diane was back to normal, I can't believe that actually worked. "How long have you been standing there? Where's the Captain?"

"Giant Big Sis, Giant Big Sis! Are you okay?" The young farmer called out and the small black-haired boy carrying a staff with a bell attached to it ran up to her.

"Oh? It's the little boy I met on my way to Baste. You're still here?." Diane leaned down and held her hair back with her hand. Diane and the farmer had met apparently, while Diane had been on her way to Baste. That's quite the coincidence but I'm sure there's nothing more to it than that.

The farmer made a small noise of agreement and moved his staff slightly, the bell rang and Diane's eyes became empty again.

"Ah! Get away from her!" I yelled running towards the kid to get him away, Diane was back under some kind of spell. The boy was going to get hurt if he stayed so close to her.

"Everyone… disappeared again…" Diane commented, Meliodas jumped up and Diane turned to face him. "You hid everyone again, didn't you!" Diane yelled at him and slammed him into him ground. Fortunately that gave the kid time to get away from Diane.

"I'm scared! I don't wanna die!" Any composer the farmer had was gone now, he was cuddled up to the other farmer and shaking in terror.

"It's alright! If I have to I'll put my life on the line to protect you!" I told him, hoping to calm him down some.

"Oh really? How sincere are your words I wonder." A new voice asked, I spun around to see an armoured woman behind me. She had a whip with her and judging from her weird armour I guess she's a part of the same group of Holy Knights Golgius came from. "Storm Rondo! Come my cute bugs! Tear their flesh apart with your hard claws and sharp wings!"

Bugs came flying around behind her, was she behind the bug attack on Dalmary? "Waaah, I'm scared!" The boy ran away screaming or tried to at least.

"First up that annoying brat! Die!" The woman exclaimed, with that the bugs surged forward surrounding the boy who released a cream of pain. My eyes widened at the scene, this woman was really willing to kill a child?! "Um… 'If I have to I'll put my life on the line to protect you' was it? You said that but deep down you're hoping someone else will come to the rescue aren't you?"

No, I wasn't. I meant what I said, I will protect the boy or anyone that needs protecting with everything I have! So I walked forward. "He… Hey, Elizabeth! Are you really thinking of going into that?" Hawk asked me, I simply stepped into the storm of bugs and began walking further in.

It hurt. My skin was cut into as the bugs flew around me and I bled but I had to keep going. "I… made a promise. Even if I'm the only one left… Even if you were to die… I will protect the people of this kingdom from the Holy Knights!" I said more for myself than anything, I was determined to protect everyone even if it meant doing it myself. As I said those words I reached the child and covered him so the bugs couldn't get to him, so the bugs would get me instead.

The next moment the bugs dispersed and I moved away, with the danger gone there was no longer any reason to keep the farmer covered. "Good… Are you hurt anywhere?" I asked him, oddly enough it seemed he wasn't hurt at all but that couldn't have been. That couldn't have been the case because I could feel what those bugs had done to my body, there was no way they didn't do any damage to the boy right?

"Hum… It's admirable that you would put your own body in harm's way to protect another… but reality is harsh." The child told me, my eyes widened at the words.

"Huh…?" That did not sound good. Who is this kid? I found out soon as the 'child' revealed his true form as an armoured Holy Knight. It certainly explained why he wasn't injured, his appearance as a child must have been an illusion. It seemed real to us but to him…

"The little kid turned into an Holy Knight?! So his appearance up until now was an illusion?!" Hawk exclaimed at the sight. The Holy Knight must be another member of the Weird Fangs.

"So then… the reason Lord Meliodas and Lady Diane are acting strange... is because of you?" I asked, it had to have been right? If he could create such an illusion on himself then he certainly could have done the same to Meliodas and Diane.

"Before me the Seven Deadly Sins are nothing more than puppets." He told me releasing a laugh, I pushed myself up baring through the pain shooting through my body and charged forward.

"Turn them back to normal!" I all but ordered him, he grabbed my hair and pulled me up even further before punching me in the gut and releasing me so I dropped back to the ground.

"You bastard!" Hawk exclaimed, I didn't exactly see what happened but I'm sure Hawk had gotten hit when he tried to charge the Holy Knight.

"Turn… them… back…" I said again, pushing myself back up into a standing position. The pain had increased now, it was much more painful now than it was before but I had to keep going I had to do something.

The Holy Knight responded by using his staff to hit me in the face, which was what I hoped he would do. I used this opportunity to grab the bell on the staff between my teeth, I was sure that the bell was causing the illusion placed on Meliodas and Diane it had sounded off right before Diane (and presumably Meliodas) were put back into the illusion after all. I was sent flying from the force of the hit but I kept the bell clenched between my teeth, it would be really bad if I swallowed it.

"Hey Ruin, we're supposed to bring her back alive remember." I heard the female Holy Knight tell the one apparently named Ruin.

Ruin laughed and pretty much entirely ignored her. "There's nothing quite like a girl's face writhing in pain. Miss… I'll tell you something in commendation of your bravery. The thing that hypnotized those two is… the bell of this sta…" He paused, no doubt having noticed that the bell was no longer there. "It's gone!" I opened my eyes and grinned at the exclamation, I spit the bell out and Ruin grew outraged.

"You… You wench! You were going after the bell all along! How dare you!" Ruin moved to punch me but by this point I couldn't move. I had no way of defending myself, but that was okay… because I managed to release Meliodas and Diane from the illusion.

"Yeah. How dare you!" Meliodas stopped Ruin's attack, grabbing him by the arm. Meliodas sounded really angry, his voice was low and serious. After that, I fainted. I could still tell what was going on but sometimes my perception of it would be vague, considering I couldn't actually see anything.

Soon I felt Meliodas' hand on my cheek, I don't know what happened to Ruin but I didn't really care. "Elizabeth put herself in harm's way for you and Diane." I heard Hawk tell him, so Hawk was okay? That's good.

"Yeah." Meliodas grasped one of my hands in his and lifted it up, his other hand stayed on my cheek. He was so warm, I wanted him to stay where he was. "Elizabeth… Your 'resolution' I've accepted it."

"He who strikes first wins!" Ruin exclaimed, after that Meliodas' warmth left me and I couldn't tell what was really going on with them anymore. I guess Ruin had sent him flying, I hope he's okay.

I heard a sound that resembled metal getting struck and I would have sighed in relief if I could right now, that meant Meliodas was okay. Shortly after that I heard another sound, it sounded like something had gotten squashed. I guess Diane was responsible for that.

"Sorry… Elizabeth… If only… if only I were stronger..." Was Hawk crying? It certainly sounded like it. Don't cry, it wasn't your fault.

"Move over. We have to take her back to the town right away." Diane sounded worried about me, I was kind of surprised. Diane didn't seem to really like me, I guess Diane's just sweet enough to even care about people she didn't like getting hurt. Diane's a really great girl.

"Wait…" But I couldn't let her do that, so I spoke up and opened my eyes slightly. I couldn't really manage much more than that. "Please… take me to Baste... with you… where… Lord Ban and Cennete... are…"

"Elizabeth" Diane looked down at me, she looked unsure as to whether or not she should comply with my wish. "Alright then, we'll go together… It'll be a bumpy ride, but you can rest inside my bag…" Diane eventually nodded her head and moved her hand to gently pick me up, she placed me inside her bag and began closing it. I smiled at her in thanks, I'd thank her later but right now… I need to… sleep...

* * *

At some point I woke up to a series of loud banging noises, I heard an unfamiliar voice and Meliodas. I guess they found Ban and I knew for sure that Meliodas was okay now. From there, I thought of Cennete and hoped they had managed to find her but I had very little doubt that she was safe. I fell back to sleep after that trying to ignore all the loud noises, thankfully it was pretty easy.

That seems like something I'd have to sleep through often while living with the Seven Deadly Sins.

* * *

The next thing I knew, the bag was opened and the light seeping in woke me up again. I saw Meliodas and Diane peering into the bag.

"Elizabeth, how are you feeling?" Meliodas asked me, Diane didn't say anything but she looked worried about me too. I smiled at them in reassurance, I was just fine. The message had clearly gotten across as they both seemed to relax afterwards.

"Lord Meliodas, Lady Diane… what about Lord Ban… and Miss Cennete? And Hawk was injured, is he okay?

I heard Hawk try to say something but it was all so garbled, I couldn't understand a word he was trying to say. "He says 'worry about yourself first'" Meliodas told me, apparently he could tell what Hawk was saying. Meliodas was really impressive. "Ban and Cennete are with us now."

"Then has Miss Cennete been told about what happened to her father?" I asked him, quietly. If Cennete didn't know then this would be one of the worst ways to find out.

"Yeah, we told her everything." Meliodas nodded his head, his voice also quieter than it had been before.

"Lord Meliodas. I will be... fine. Would you please… go to Miss Cennete?" I requested, I wanted Cennete to have someone with her for now. After all she had lost her father, I knew how painful that was.

"Sure thing." Meliodas agreed easily.

"I'll look after Elizabeth." Diane had a smile on her face as she said that. I guess I'd be staying with Diane for a little while. Meliodas thanked her as Diane picked her bag up, she huddled her bag in one of her arms and I think she used her other hand to wave. With that we began moving to the Boar Hat presumably.

* * *

"Elizabeth allow me to properly introduce you two." Meliodas waved his hand towards a tall man wearing red leather. We were all on the roof of Dr. Dana's house, apparently Dr. Dana had survived the attack. I'm not sure how but I'm glad he's okay. "This is the Fox's Sin of Greed Ban."

"Well, well.~ Nice to meet you.~" Ban's words went up and down in pitch and drawled out, it was almost like he was singing them… really badly.

"Hmm what's with those clothes?" Meliodas asked, I was confused as this was the first time I was seeing him but I guess he didn't have those clothes before.

"I'm not about to meet the girl half-naked.~" Ban replied, does he say everything like that?

"But you didn't have any money to buy clothes."

"I just happened to find them lying around~" I giggled at the exchange as Diane sighed irritatedly behind me.

"By the way it's been a long time Diane." Ban stood up from the barrel he had been sitting on and grinned at the Giantess behind me.

"Not long enough if you ask me." Diane humphed and I took this opportunity to introduce myself to the sin of greed.

"I'm Elizabeth. I apologise for having to meet you in this state." I told him, I know he probably knows my name already but still…

"Not at all. We sins don't care about such formalities. I hope the four of us can get along." He bowed to me and grinned, I'm starting to think that that grin of his is permanently etched into his face.

"There's five of us!" Hawk spoke up, I guess Ban hadn't noticed him yet.

"What are you talking about, Cap'n? There's only four of us~" Ban turned to Meliodas, who waved his hand to say he hadn't been the one to speak.

"This guy's such a nut-job. After getting separated from his team, he goes and gets himself arrested for fun! And then, when he finds out his comrades are nearby he breaks out, levelling the dungeon in the process. You sure he doesn't have a screw or two lose?" Did Ban really do that? I guess that's what all those loud noises were.

"Why would Lord Ban…?" I asked Diane, right now it seemed like she was the only one that would answer as Meliodas was busy watching Ban and Hawk interact.

"It's best not to question it." She told me simply. I blinked and nodded in agreement, it really did sound like something I probably shouldn't question.

"I see. That seems to be common among the Seven Deadly Sins." I joked, hoping I wouldn't offend Diane by saying that after I had already said it.

Fortunately Diane snorted in amusement. "Yeah, some more than others." Diane agreed. "Heads up, Merlin is one of those 'more than others'." Diane winked at me as Ban and Hawk screamed in the background. Diane and I ignored them, while Meliodas watched them.

* * *

"Now everyone! Eat up!" Dr. Dana told us standing in front of a table full of food. He seems really well for someone that could stabbed through the stomach, I'm glad he's alright but he seems almost too alright, how? Oh, who cares?

"Are you sure?" Diane asked him.

"Of course! Don't be shy. Eat as much as you want." Dr. Dana told her, she smiled and was about to reach over and grab some food before Dr. Dana spoke up once more. "I'm just sorry you have to eat standing up."

"Don't worry about it, I'm having a great time just getting to feast with everyone!" Diane told him cheerfully, shaking her head.

From there everyone all drank, ate and had a good time together. As I couldn't get out of the bed I was lying in Diane and Meliodas handed me food and drink, Meliodas even tried to feed me sometimes.

Well, I guess he shouldn't say tried as I did open my mouth for him allowing him to put the food he was offering me in my mouth.

Eventually the party calmed down, Ban was really drunk. He was hanging on to Hawk (He was also calling him 'master' but… it's best not to question it.) who dragged him around, trying to get him off.

"It's been a long time since I've enjoyed myself like this. I wish it could last forever." I said as I watched them, Diane had heard me but I kind of expected she would have. I didn't mind if she knew about this. "But this latest encounter has taught me just how much the Holy Knights are to be feared and how the Seven Deadly Sins are the only ones that can stand up to them."

"Elizabeth." I looked over at Diane in surprise, I knew she had heard me but I hadn't expected her to say anything. "I don't know much about humans or how they work and to be honest I don't particularly care either." She told me looking away from me. "But… I wouldn't mind fighting if it was for you… because what you did today, it was beyond impressive."

"I didn't do anything!" I exclaimed shooting up in the bed I was lying in, my cheeks were hot from the compliment.

"Don't push yourself!" Diane shouted at the action, I nodded but didn't lie back down. I was just fine sitting up like this. "You said you didn't have any power but you do. You have the power to move the hearts of Captain… and me." She told me, my eyes widened and a smile crossed my face. "Elizabeth?"

"Yes?"

"Would it be alright… if I called you ''Eli'?" She asked me, her chin resting in one of her hands and her violet eyes looking down at me. A small blush had crossed her face.

"Of course!" The smile that had already been there widened tenfold. Diane and I… it looks like we're friends now.

"Then you don't have to call me 'Lady' either."

"Uh… B-but that wouldn't be… well…" I protested, not that I didn't want to but it felt improper. I mean Diane and the other Seven Deadly Sins were all so amazing but I…

"I said it's fine!"

"O-Okay."

"Father look at the sky!" Cennete exclaimed pointing up at the sky, everyone looked up to see stars shooting across the night sky. It's so beautiful.

Not long after we all fell asleep; I slept on the bed I was in, Meliodas slept lept against the bed and Diane used her arms as a pillow, sleeping standing up. Meliodas held my hand and Diane's was gently resting on top of me. I guess Ban and Hawk were sleeping a little further away but I couldn't say for sure.

What I could say for sure though, was that… I feel safe here, with them.


	7. Announcement

Alright everyone, I apologise but I will no longer be writing Spectrum of Passion. I'm sorry but I just don't like it all that much and it's so hard to write. I had another NNT Fanfiction I dropped that I've decided to pick back up though. The one uploaded now will be deleted and I'll be starting the story from scratch, the base idea will still be the same however.

This may not be the end of Spectrum of Passion though. I'm putting it up for adoption so if anyone is interested in continuing it PM me and I'll message you back. Should anyone adopt this story, I will inform you all.


	8. Adoption Announcement

This story has now been adopted by MediaMaster 263 on FanFiction and TheLoneOnlineWolf2 on Archive of Our Own. As far as I know these are two different people. I may have forgotten about the first person who asked for adoption and have now handed the story over to two people. I've decided to let them both have it since they are two different people and the story will be quite different. 


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